To Do List - Software you need to achieve your goals Part Two

This is the second article in my series of software you should use to achieve your goals.

A to-do list. Again, I’m going to plug eGroupware here, having used it effectively for many years now, although I’ve seen and used many others. Personally, I prefer open-source software. In the past, I’ve used Now-Up-To-Date, but really, a to do list is simple.

In order to achieve your goals in life you need to 1) have goals. It continues to surprise me the number of people that have no goals in life. So if you have no goals, you can probably stop reading. If, on the other hand, you do have some goals in life, you need to get there.

Saying “I’m going to be a famous novelist… some day,” seems like a nice goal to have. But ’some day’ is pretty nebulous. You don’t go from your 9-5 job to famous novelist without some work.

Using software can help you achieve your goals.

Break it down.
Naturally, there are some intermediate steps between you and the famous novelist. Can we break it down to some achievable, realistic, and doable steps?

1. Write the first chapter
2. Write the book outline.
3. Signup for WritersMarket.com
4. Create proposal letter.
5. Submit proposal to 5 publishing companies.
6. Phone/Email for follow up two weeks later.

Now this is of course, very oversimplified, but it is a few steps in the right direction. One that involves you actually doing some work, rather than just becoming famous overnight.

So why do I need a digital to do list? Paper would work just as well.

At first, these six items would work fine on a paper list. But the moment anything changes, paper becomes a problem.

When I open my to-do list, everything that isn’t done is still to-do. It is also marked with the date on it so I know if I have been slack or not. I can handle multiple things and nothing gets lost in the shuffle. If I have to do my taxes - not part of the famous novelist goal - it is on my to do list, simply because it needs to be done. It stays there until it gets done.

When I get finished, I have the pleasure of clicking the done button. That has become a reward in itself!

The nice part about digital to do lists, is that some programs have the ability to share or delegate tasks, so you can give other people items to do (spouse, family members, assistant, coworkers).

Checked and completed items on a to do list also show progress towards your goal. Set a goal, set down some action items, and make your life happen.

Life doesn’t just happen. You make it happen.