Using Trigger Lists To Improve Your Life

January 5th 2007

Hope you all had a good new year and didn’t drink too much! I winded up last year with a brief post on trigger lists. As the festive period has winded down now I’ve found myself with a bit of spare time and decided to use the trigger lists mentioned in that last post to really clear out my mental ram so I was in a clear, focused position to start the new year. While I was doing this I started thinking about having specialist trigger lists for particular needs, such as with my personal life, so I could really get some answers about what I wanted and how I could do it.

What follows is a sample list covering basic elements of your life with a collection of relevant trigger words. I have included simple examples after each to clarify their meaning. Has I have said, this is only intended as a basic list to give you some ideas for developing your own. If anyone wishes to add their own suggestions then please leave a comment.

Physical health

Gym (look on internet for personal trainer)
Sports (contact manager of local football team)
Food/Healthy eating (buy a healthy cook book)
Vitamins/supplements (buy Vitamin C tablets)
Sleep (aim to get up before 7AM every morning)
Health (visit the doctor for checkup)

Friends and family

Call (Ring John in Scotland)
Write (send a letter to your pen pal)
Text (Joanne is having a hard time, send her a message)
Email/MSN (havn’t heard from Lucy, will email her)
Meet (arrange lunch with old university friends)
Time together (arrange to go out for a meal)
Family members (invite parents over)

Personal time

Read (buy that book you have always wanted)
Draw (do some painting by the sea on my day off)
Write (update my journal)
Relax (go to the spa)
Alone time (go for a walk when the weather is good)
Watch (go to cinema to see a film)

Career development

Personal review (see where I can improve at work)
Network (go to the next conference)
Learn/coach (research any IT courses)
Communication (improve relationship with manager)
Performance (go in earlier to get emails sorted)

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