Home
>
Small Business
>
Creating Lists to Learn About Yourself, Your Business and Your Customers

Creating Lists to Learn About Yourself, Your Business and Your Customers

I love lists. I make them for everything. And I'm not just talking about groceries, things to do this week or places to see before I die; but more important lists that help me learn about myself, my business and my life.

A few years ago when I began writing books, giving speeches and publishing articles, I became obsessed with lists; mainly because they're easier for other people to follow, and easier for me to write. But the science behind lists is a fascinating thing.

It all started with my friend Ed. He once told me to make a list called "101 Goals for 2005." That's a lot, I thought. It certainly puts those New Years Resolutions to shame! But coming up with 101 of anything is a lot. And over a period of two weeks, I finished my list. And as per Ed's suggestion, I made the first item on my list "Write a list of 101 goals." When I was done, I crossed it off!

Then over the next few months, I looked at my list frequently. It kept my goals, dreams and desires in front of me; both business and personal. And I crossed new items off every week, accomplishing more than ever before!

Lists allow us to easily put information which belongs together in one place. They don't prioritize, segment, or bias any one item; but rather allow us to simply get it all down on paper ? and sometimes that's the most important part of learning. In my case, I learned what goals I wanted to accomplish in 2005 ? some of which I NEVER would have thought of otherwise. So, the beauty of lists is two sided: making the list, and using the list.

Organization
First of all, lists help you examine your ideas, thoughts and problems visually, often resulting in patterns. This works better than thinking or talking because humans remember that which appeals to their vision three times as well as any other sense. So, creating lists will widen the areas of your memory circuit and allow your information to become clearer.

Here's a great example: try making a list of "10 Problems My Customers Complain About." This exercise will identify several key difficulties for which your business has solutions. Not to mention, this is great information to memorize for future conversation with those customers.

Creativity
If you read any resource, book or website on creativity, all of them will tell you the same thing: lists stimulate and challenge your creativity. Sure, it's easy to pin down one answer to a problem or question. But what about 5? 7? 10? Forcing yourself to adhere to a set number of required items will generate greater depth and breadth of your ideas. Especially when you start making lists of 25, 50 and 100, you're bound to stretch you mind to its very limits!

Capturing
Have you ever heard the scientific fact that "humans only use 10% of their brains"? Whether or not this is true, I don't know. But I do believe each one of us has a stockpile of valuable ideas, experiences, memories and brain sparks that need to be leveraged for the purposes of learning. People have so much information in their minds that making lists can capture these valuable thoughts in a visible way.

This is great tactic to help you understand your own personal brand. My mentor, Shep Hyken, author of Moments of Magic and The Loyal Customer, once told me to write my own list called "Top Ten Reasons You Should Hire Me." Wow. I'd never really thought of myself in that way. And I admit, it was a difficult task.

"Don't just put 'Because I'm nice,'" Shep told me, "write a word or phrase, and then expand on it in a detailed paragraph."

So?what are the Top Ten Reasons anyone would want to work with YOU?

If you'd like to view my list, go here.

Learning
A few weeks ago my friend Ed ? the same friend who challenged me to create that initial list of 101 Goals ? summed up the issue perfectly.

"Lists help you evaluate yourself. They allow you to 'approach' who you are as a person. It's almost like building an INNER front porch?to yourself."

Whoa. Somebody used my own term back to me! That blew my mind. But Ed was right! If a front porch increases approachability, and approachability is a function of knowledge and uncertainty, then creating lists about yourself invites YOU to get to know YOU.

Maybe we need to be more willing to approach ourselves. After all, Socrates once said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Here are a few of my favorite lists, all of which I've completed and update/cross off regularly. I encourage you to take some time in the next few weeks to write a few of them out:

1.100 Things That Make You Happy
2.50 Things You Like About Yourself
3.25 Accomplishments I'm Proud Of
4.101 Goals for 2005
5.25 Best Pieces of Business Advice I've Ever Been Given
6.50 of My Favorite Success Stories to Tell
7.A List of Everything You Want to Be
8.15 Things Your Customers Need to Know About You
9.10 Reasons You're An Expert
10.7 Characteristics of Your Ideal Client

Good luck and happy listing!

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

Airbnb cleaning service Glenview ..

In The News:

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

Creating Lists to Learn About Yourself, Your Business and Your Customers

Small Business