Quests
I love a good list. I get everything out of my head and on paper (I prefer it to an electronic version). It's in line with neuroscience and getting stuff done. And as an activator, I like nothing more than highlighting all my completed tasks on the 5.50pm train from Wellington to Waterloo in the evenings.
But I admit, many of my listed items are day-to-day: call a particular person; send the monthly invoices; update a local government workbook.
We're used to talking about goals, but what about quests instead? Thanks to David Cain for this idea. Quest sounds like a word I'd read to my five-year-old grandson involving dragons. But it's a good reframe. Quest is an adventure. Goals can feel a bit ho-hum. Cain sees a quest as an OBW - one big win.
So, what's yours? (And what's mine for that matter?) I don't want to get all in the clouds about this, but I think it's got some guts. It changes our mentality. Here are examples of quests people set for themselves:
Declutter the whole house
Make an “If I get hit by a bus” folder for my family
Get rid of everything I don’t need
Learn a new programming language
Finalise retirement plans
Get rid of hoarded possessions and invite people for coffee at the end
Start a podcast and launch the first episode
Build an app for a client
Get up to speed on my financial position and make new budget
Write and submit a research proposal
Your top five
This is another idea I picked up recently. It's from Warren Buffett. And it's quite simple. Write down the 25 things you want to accomplish in order of importance to you. Then cross out the bottom 20 and concentrate on the top 5. Simple stuff. You could always reframe them as quests.
Give either approach a go. I'll start a new page in my 'to do' notebook on the 5.50.