Jacey Verdicchio - A Children's Author

I've picked up a few practical tips that apply to list making from Darren Hardy's book, The Compound Effect.

Darren Hardy has a system that ultimately leads to choosing your top three most important goals for the year. By working backward, you can discover what daily actions you need to take to reach those goals. The hardest part for me has been finding things I can measure to gauge my progress. Without measuring, it's impossible to track your progress.

Here's an example of a weight loss goal:

Goal: Lose 20 pounds by March 20th
That's 20 weeks exactly, so we'll need to lose about a pound a week.
Measurable activities I could choose to keep track of my progress:

• Number of steps per day - visit a website that teaches you how many steps per day you need to take for weight loss at your weight and age.
• Number of ounces of daily water intake
• Number of exercise sessions that raise your heart rate for 30 minutes or more in a week
• Servings of fruit or vegetables

Repeat this same process with your other goals, and now you've got a list that works for you, a list that is moving your life in the direction you want to go instead of the random hamster wheel of checking off boxes. I used weight loss as an example because it's easy to measure, but it's not actually one of my goals. I've been able to use the same system in other areas of my life. The key is consistency - figuring out what actions will move you in the right direction, and taking them regularly. For more in depth information, I recommend The Compound Effect.

What about maintenance, though? We all have those things we "have" to do that don't necessarily move us toward our goals, but they are important to the upkeep of life. I'm talking about these items on your list:

• Go to Target
• Pick up prescription
• Laundry

Next time we'll talk about some of those!