I’m a big guy list guy. I’ve used every kind of list method out there, but one that has always worked for me is pen and paper.
When I make a to-do list, I draw a circle then put the item next to it and once I complete the task, I color in the circle. I don’t know if this method has a name, but it’s what I was taught by one of my early marketing mentors about 15 years ago.
What is the Diabetes Power List?
Well, the Power List itself is a concept that I learned from the MFCEO, Andy Frisella, and yes the MF stands for exactly what you think it means.
Andy has a very “get shit done” and “win” mentality that I also share, so his content obviously attracted me.
His concept of The Power List is very simple. Every day, write down 5 things that you must do today in order to achieve your goals or be who you want to become. These are not your daily work tasks for that day like, “email John about vacation time” but things that you know you need to do to become a better you. These 5 items are about winning the day. *See end of post to win a FREE copy!
How Do I Use the Power List?
So, what I do is take my goals for the year and break them down into monthly goals and then what do I need to do every day in order to accomplish those goals.
For example, I want to lose 50 pounds in 2018. I’ve gotten a late start because 8 months in and I’m only down 5. Anyway, in order for me to do that I must:
1. Wake up before 7 am
2. Go for a 30 minute walk
3. Eat less than 75g carbs and/or less than 1,800 calories
My other two current items on my Power List are:
4. Make 2 point of contacts
5. Create one piece of content
Those 5 things, if done every single day, will lead me to my financial goal for 2018, my weight loss goal, my education goal (I listen to audiobooks during walk to help me reach my 25 books completed in 2018 goal).
Now that I have the 5 items for the day, I must accomplish them. If I accomplish all of them, I put a W on that day and I won the day. If I did 4 out of 5 or 4.5 out of 5, then I lost.
I don’t like to lose.
The goal is to win every single day. Every day is a challenge or competition and you must win the day.
Create Winning Habits
If you are able to complete the same task 25 days in a row, you can take it off of your Power List because by then, it will become a habit of daily life.
Here’s an example.
I’ve never been one to floss (my teeth, not the dance). So, I put “Floss” on my Power List. If I didn’t floss that day, I lost the entire day, no matter how much I accomplished. I dont’ like losing.
So, guess what?
I floss every damn day now because it is a habit by now.
I titled this post the Diabetes Power List because there are certain items on my Power List that are diabetes related, but they are also there to help me become a better person.
For example, the 30 minute walk at 6 am every day was initially to help stop my dawn phenomenon and get some exercise in to be healthy, but it’s done so much more. It’s helped with my mindfulness and stress and has helped me accomplish so much more in the day. I wrote about this recently how walking in the morning has helped lower my stress levels.
Life is a Competition
I know that some of you reading this may be saying to yourself, “life is not a competition, not everything is a competition, it’s ok to lose” and we can just agree to disagree from the beginning.
Life is a competition. If you are not becoming a better person, if you are not becoming better at your job, someone is going to take it from you. If you are not becoming a better parent every day or better spouse every day, then you are losing out on big opportunities.
I live by the 100-0 mentality (also a theme of Andy’s). And that mentality is that I want to crush my competition 100-0 every single time I step on the field.
I’m a big sports guy, so I use sports references a lot.
Diabetes is MY Competition
So, in my daily life, I live with diabetes, I’ve looked at my diabetes in so many different ways over the years. I’ve thought “well I have to live with it, so I will play nice with it” and “ughh, I hate diabetes” and “well I have to embrace it and love it”.
Well, none of those have worked.
I wake up and go to bed seeing diabetes as my competition.
Either I am going to win the day.
Or diabetes is going to win the day.
I plan on winning every day
And a lot of days ahead.
Five things? I an retired and I do not think I can get five things done in a day. I better that with one thing only.
Rick
Thanks for commenting. You are looking at it wrong. The 5 things are not tasks. They are things you achieve throughout the day. I only have 3 primary tasks in s day.
The Power List is different. For example, wake up before 7 am. That’s not a tasks or something you need time to do, you just do it. Next, eat less than 75g of carbs. That’s not a task that’s just a habit I am creating.
Power List is completely different than a task list and unfortuantely, for those that do this and use it as a task list will fail.
I like it! A new way to think! May be just what I need. Thank you!
Rhonda,
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you like it. Just give it a try. Like I said, it’s important to make sure that you’re not focusing on 5 tasks to complete that day like, go to the grocery store, call your doctor, etc. I’d love to hear back from you once you have had the chance to give it a shot.
Chris,
Thank you for going into depth on how you personally have created and maintained using a Power List. I have been following Andy, Vaughn, and Tyler on the MFCEO Project since last summer and after doing a short stint of being a 1st Phorm Legionnaire.
I personally have tried to start a Power List at least two or three times in the past and my lack of discipline and my excuses have always gotten in the way. I Googled “The Power List” and have looked at a few blogs and examples this afternoon before coming across what you wrote. I had wondered if I was looking at this concept in the wrong way; it almost did become a “to-do” list and it was task-focused.
“These are not your daily work tasks for that day like, “email John about vacation time” but things that you know you need to do to become a better you.” This was my lightbulb moment—I am not just needing to choose five things at random, but I am needing to find five specific tasks that help develop my personal/professional/academic/wellness/etc so I can become the best version of myself.
I do not have Diabetes, but I have had some health issues arise. I am (temporarily) medically barred from caffeine, powerlifting, strenous activity, etc, until I see a cardiologist for a potential heart murmur and a radiologist to rule out MS, since I’ve been experiencing neuropathy issues. I do hope that diving back into the practice of a Power List will help me gain control of my life again.
Thank you again.
Sarah,
Thank you for your comment. First, I hope that everything turns out well with the cardiologist. Next, I am so happy to hear that this post has helped you. The biggest thing to remember is that the goal is to be able to complete something on your Power List for 20-25 days in a row. Once you do that, then it can be removed, so if you just put daily tasks in it, then there’s no way that you are going to do the same thing 25 days in a row.
Hopefully you can get back to the Power List and make improvements. It has definitely helped me.