The Importance of a To Do List

One of the most important things you can do to be successful in any area it so keep a To Do List.  I've learned so much of what I use from Chalene Johnson (highly recommend her free 30 day goal setting & organization challenge at www.30daypush.com) 
Why do you need a To Do List? Life is busy, things go fast, without the "map" of where you are going, how do you know that you are doing the right things to get to your goals?
The most productive and successful people are organized and stay on track with a To Do List.  
Here is a summary of key things that you need to do with your To Do List.

1. Create a master brainstorm list or brain dump of everything you currently need to do - for personal and professional.  Get in the habit of separating your To Do's into categories of what must be done today, what must be done this week, what must be done this month, and longer term goals like quarterly or yearly.
2. Put all of your current To Do's into your phone.  You need to keep your To Do List with you at all times - easiest to do if you keep it on your SmartPhone. Either with a to do list app like AwesomeNote or even just using the Notes app. This makes it easy for you to add something when it comes up or when a memory of something you need to do hits you.
3. Spend 10 minutes each night before bed or when you wake looking over your daily To Do List. Make sure it represents everything that MUST get done that day.
4. Create your to do list in the same place and time every day so it becomes a habit.
5. Add 3 things to your list to get you closer to whatever your big goal is.  So it shouldn't just be your regular every day to do's, but what's the one big thing you are working towards? Make sure these 3 things are bite sized things you can do in a short amount of time. This requires breaking down your big goal into small steps.