Today’s Success Habit is about the importance of using a written to do list. You can read a new Success Habit post every Monday when you join me on Twitter and/or Facebook.
Success Habit: Use a To-Do-List. Review it and revise it, every day.
I heard a story once about a business advisor who received a payment of $5,000 for one simple idea.
The advisor had the opportunity to meet with a very successful businessman to talk about time-management techniques that could help the company. But, the businessman believed that there was nothing new that the advisor could teach him, since he was already a success in his industry.
The advisor acknowledged the businessman’s success and simply asked him a question. “Do you use a written to do list?” The businessman said no and told him he didn’t need one. The consultant then asked, “How do you know what is the most important thing to work on during the day?” The businessman said, it was instinct and he just figured it out as the day went on.
The advisor asked the businessman if he would be willing to try the to do list idea for the week and meet with him again on Friday. The businessman agreed and listened as the advisor explained how to effectively use the to do list system.
When they met on Friday, the businessman asked the advisor how much he got paid for the work he does. He said, $5000 per month. The businessman then wrote out a check for the amount and handed it to the advisor.
When he inquired as to why, the businessman told him that by using the to do list idea he felt more productive in the past week than he had all last month. By using the to do list system to review and prioritize his tasks the company was able to land a $20,000 client. So, he was glad to pay the advisor’s fee for such a valuable tool.
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Having a written to do list allows us to review and prioritize the tasks we have each day. This clarity lets us see opportunities that we might otherwise miss by trying to juggle them in our heads.
So, what’s number one, on your to do list today?
For help creating your to do list, follow the steps in my book The Success Habit Secret. If you don’t have a copy, it’s available on Amazon.com.
Or better yet, schedule an appointment and we can work on it together.
I wish for you all the success that you strive to achieve.
Sincerely,
Edward Aldama
Certified Life/Business Coach, author: The Success Habit Secret
YourGreatestSelf.com
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