I have noticed lately what appears to be a trend. I like to read a couple of business related articles each day in order to keep the ol’ saw sharp. The one thing I’ve noticed is that many of the Authors seem to be offering list of things to do to achieve success. For example you might find titles that look like this: 8 Things you should do every day, 6 things you should never do, 10 ways to motivate, 3 must to make your blog more appealing. Occasionally there will be the über bold author that will profess the ONE thing that you must do. This trend isn’t limited to just business writings. You can find these list in every area of your live. Exercise, diet, faith, family life, personal finances; the lists go on and on and on.
List aren’t necessarily a bad thing. I have found myself liking several articles on LinkedIn that are list. I’ve posted a link to an article my pastor from years ago wrote 10 Things I Wish I’d Know When I Was 21. Many of these list can be a great way to reflect on your progress, whether personal or professional. Occasionally you find yourself coming across something you hadn’t really give much consideration to before.
In noticing this trend I’ve asked myself “why articles about list so popular?”. Let’s face it, if they weren’t authors wouldn’t try to grab your attention with it. I think the answer might be that society at large is desperate to simplify life. “Just give me the list so I don’t have to struggle”, she might say as she searches for solutions to balance the family budget. Life seems to be hurled at us (or perhaps vomited on us) every day. News and events from around the world show up on your phone in a nanosecond. Things you would never have heard of twenty years ago, become a world phenomena. It’s called “going viral” for a reason. I’m just old enough to remember life before the personal computer. The very thing that was supposed to simplify our lives makes us spend every waking moment just trying to keep up.
So take it all in stride my friend. There are no easy solutions, magic bullet, or for that matter a magic list. No matter how tech savvy your are, you won’t be able to keep up. Success in life is made from one decision at a time. So I will make my attempt at a list. I will even be über bold and limit it to one thing, and if you’ve read some of my other post you know what’s coming.
The One Thing You Must Do Before You Die:
Accept Jesus Christ as Your Lord and Savior
Thanks for reading my post, and if you have thoughts on why there are so many list, please chime in with a comment.