#1. Keep a List, Every Day, NO MATTER WHAT!

This whole routine is only as valuable as it is consistent. That is the biggest secret behind and, in my belief, behind success in general. So the first thing I ever did was set aside a 21 days period where I would keep a daily to-do list and follow it every day NO MATTER WHAT. After the 21 days I adopted 1 more simple habit that has caused this to be my most successful routine. You can do exactly the same thing and it will work. It’s a simple method to form a habit (which takes 3 weeks). Once this is a habit it will stay with you naturally and effortlessly as all habits tend to do.

#2. Make your lists, part of your lists.

On every daily to-do list of mine you will find a bullet point that says something to the tune of “Write out tomorrow’s To-Do List”. Every day I have that written down, and every day I do it. This is the simplest technique I can think of to keep yourself in the habit.

#3. Make sure daily to-do lists are focused on life goals.

In this post I wrote out my 5 year goals. Taking to heart that their attainment will require sincerity and passion and the discipline to work towards them daily, I always check my daily lists and ask myself if this list is something that will move me measurably towards my goals.

#4. Plan time to relax.

One of the best habits I have. I set aside time daily to unwind and relax. This increases my quality of life and general wellness more than anything else I do on a daily basis.

#5. Don’t just write to-do points, include to-be.

If there is a part of your life you are unhappy with identify what habits you need to change to reach the goal you want to have. I decided a while back that I wasn’t being as outgoing as I should be and as a result wasn’t attracting positive new friends. So for 3 weeks I put on my list, “smile and say hello to 5 complete strangers”. The effects were PROFOUND. This was communicated as the goal, “To be a more positive, outgoing person”, and it worked.

#6. Fill the list with habits.

Apart from writing out things like, “go to grocery store, read for 30 minutes, blah blah blah”. I like to fill my list with habits that support my goals. I usually have a pretty long list, especially when I am working on changing some part of my life. But as I am trying to lose fat my list is covered with things like, “drink at least 2-4 liters of water, walk for at least 30 minutes first thing in the morning, follow my diet strictly (remember that I get Saturday to go wild so be strict during the week)”. Things along those lines. All supporting habits for my goal of weight loss. I do the same thing with finances, relationships, etc. Any goal I set, I list the supporting habits and make them part of my daily life.

#7. Keep your lists in a file.

I do this and then review my lists at the end of every week (Sundays). Right before I set out my weekly focus points and goals to build my next lists. I like to approach things 1 week at a time. So every week I have a weekly to-do/to-be list that I keep in my focus during the week as I plan my daily activities. I then keep all the lists and review them to see how successful I was and see if the actions I took have brought the end I want. If I did all my actions and still have not had the success I want I seek out counsel and find better ways to do things.

#8. Only do what you want.

Many people get too busy doing all kinds of things that they think they need to do and their lives fly by. Take control, learn to say NO to people, and manage your life to engineer it to your standards, not someone else’s.

#9. Get the To-Do’s out of the way as fast as possible and then spend the rest of the day working on T0-Be.

This is a great way to look at things. I like to get up early (5am) and spend the first 2-3 hours accomplishing everything I possibly can on my to-do list. It’s always a great day when 7am rolls around and I have my entire work day complete before most people get out of bed. I then spend the rest of the day being what I want to be, doing what I want to do, with who I want to do it with.

These 9 points are a sure fire way to increase productivity and eliminate stress. I like to ask myself each day, “If I were going to die at the end of this day, would I still do everything on the list?” I am not to the point yet where the answer is always yes. But the number one goal I have is to make that answer yes, every day. That is my definition of success.

When you have everything written down and you know what you are going to do your worry about tomorrow will completely disappear. Recognize that things will rarely go exactly according to plan but these habits build a foundation of control that will allow you to handle anything that comes your way without stress. So get a pen and notepad and install this habit over the next 21 days.

Make sure to report back!