It’s not enough to want to take charge of your life. How do you go about it? Where to start? More often than not, we’re at a loss, even at a loss. That’s why I’ve come up with a series of checklists to help you see things more clearly and take action. With these lists, remaking your life has never been easier or more fun.

1 – The dream list

We all too often forget that we’re here on Earth with dreams to realize. This can be frightening or even discouraging. But it’s a fact.

And, rather than letting fear or demotivation make your decisions, you can instead appeal to your curiosity and creativity.

There’s a powerful and fun tool for this: the Bucket List. It’s the list of 100 things you’d like to do before you die.

In other words, it’s your dream list. From your wildest to your simplest dreams. Because yes, when you have to list 100 dreams, there’s something for everyone!

Why don’t you make a list of your dreams? Start slowly. Start by listing 10 or 15 dreams at first, then stop. Then start again the next day, and so on.

Then have fun imagining your dreams in all areas of your life: professional, personal, relationships, friendships, passions…

Don’t underestimate the power of this list. Because taking charge of your life means knowing your dreams and realizing them one by one.

2 – To take charge of your life, you need a list of good habits

Do you have any good habits? Write them down. Because we need to know what we’re doing right for ourselves, and for others too.

And use this list to think about the good habits you’d like to adopt. Don’t put any limits on yourself, don’t think about how you’re going to do it, and don’t abuse yourself by saying: “as usual, I’m not going to keep my commitments”.

Because taking charge of your life means allowing yourself to think big and have fun.

In fact, understand that you’ve been criticizing yourself for years, and look, it’s not getting you anywhere. So try doing things differently. Dream, trust yourself, dare! What do you think?

3 – The list of bad habits

After the good habits, let’s move on to the bad habits. Because what gets us through life is not so much establishing good habits as stopping certain bad ones.

So list the bad habits you’d like to stop and live a happier life.

Don’t use this opportunity to judge and criticize yourself. On the contrary, look at yourself with compassion and empathy. You’re doing the best you can.

Remember, it’s not by criticizing yourself that you’ll take charge of your life, it’s on the contrary by congratulating yourself and being kind to yourself.

4 – The annual goals list, essential for taking charge of your life

When you want to take charge of your life, it’s essential to be clear about your vision for the current year.

I say “clear enough”, because we need to remain flexible about our direction. We don’t get ahead if we’re perfectionists and rigid about the things that are supposed to happen in our lives. Quite simply, because life throws in its two cents, and we have to know how to adapt.

So this list of annual objectives needs to be precise, but not rigid.

In concrete terms, I invite you to list ten or so objectives for the year. Cover all areas of your life: professional, personal, relationships, friendships, passions.

To write them down, simply imagine what you’d like to have achieved by the end of the year. Small goals, bigger goals.

Above all, have fun!

5 – The monthly goal list, a powerful tool for taking charge of your life

Now, having annual goals is great, but taking action is even better (laughs).

Indeed, many of us make a lot of good resolutions and never keep them, for the simple reason that we don’t do anything about them.

But why don’t we take action? It’s because we don’t know how to go about it, our goals seem too big, too difficult to achieve.

That’s why this list is such a powerful tool. Because you’re going to break down your annual goal into 12 small monthly objectives. 12 small actions to move forward slowly, but surely.

What do you think? Now it’s your turn!

5 – The monthly goal list, a powerful tool for taking charge of your life

Now, having annual goals is great, but taking action is even better (laughs).

Indeed, many of us make a lot of good resolutions and never keep them, for the simple reason that we don’t do anything about them.

But why don’t we take action? It’s because we don’t know how to go about it, our goals seem too big, too difficult to achieve.

That’s why this list is such a powerful tool. Because you’re going to break down your annual goal into 12 small monthly objectives. 12 small actions to move forward slowly, but surely.

What do you think? Now it’s your turn!

6 – The list of things you dream of buying

Because taking charge of your life means sorting out what you want, and facing up to your desires.

In fact, all too often, our desires resemble those of others, and so we chase after things we don’t like. And, conversely, when our desires truly reflect who we are, then we have difficulty facing them head-on.

That’s why this list is so powerful. It’s going to help you get to know yourself better, and that’s going to do you a world of good.

7 – To take charge of your life, you need a list of your relationships

Our relationships are important in our lives, but we tend to put them to one side because of stress or certain goals.

In fact, we often put off meetings and discussions that are essential to our well-being.

In fact, we sometimes feel lonely, but it’s not because we’re lonely. It’s because we’ve isolated ourselves.

Make this list. List all the relationships you have. Relationships that are more or less close. And you’ll realize how many people are already around you, and you’ll probably want to prioritize certain people or deepen certain relationships.

8 – A list of everyday things that do you good

What a joy it is to rediscover the simple joys of everyday life. Start with the morning. What do you like in the morning? Noon, end of day, evening, weekdays, weekends?

Rediscover your everyday life. This list will inspire you to savour more of the things you already have in your life.

What’s more, it might inspire you to add a few more simple joys.

9 – List of vacations, trips and outings

To take charge of your life, it’s essential to remember all the places you’ve already been. On vacations, long trips, short weekends and even small outings.

Think back. Back a few months, back a few years. Think back.

What’s more, this list is sure to give you ideas for new outings and destinations. So have fun.

Because taking charge of your life means satisfying your thirst for novelty.

10 – The list of books to read to take charge of your life

For me, personal development books are real treasures, mentors even. That’s why it’s a good idea to always carry around a short list of books to read.

So, when you have the time or feel the need, you can draw on this ready-made list.

Better still, make reading personal development books a daily habit. That means reading every day for at least 15 minutes. You’ll see, it works wonders!

11 – The dressing room list

Taking charge of your life means stopping spending it all on shopping, or living with the constant frustration of never having enough, and ultimately having to manage a dressing room full to bursting with clothes that serve no purpose.

That’s why this list may seem superfluous, but in fact it’s essential.

List everything you have in your dressing room. Then sort it out. Keep only what’s really essential and what you really like.

Because living with the essentials is the promise of a happier, more serene life.

12 – List of quotes to change your life

And finally, the list that really makes you feel good: the list of quotes. To do this, go online and type in “motivational quotes” and/or “happiness quotes”.

Then choose at least 3 quotes that particularly appeal to you. Write them down on your list. And, on post-it notes, on your phone. Put them everywhere.

Because quotes are powerful and guide us when we want to take back control of our lives.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Improve your life: 6 steps to create the life you want
Discover Kaizen method: 3 steps to reach your goals in small steps

I recommend this inspiring book:

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Chloe Benjamin’s The Immortalists follows the lives and deaths of four siblings, all of whom must ask themselves what they want to do with their lives now that they know when they’re going to die. They take charge of their lives in different ways, exploring fate, choice and the search for fulfillment.

In the summer of 1969, they hear of a fortune-teller who can predict the exact date of their own death. After saving up for weeks, the four Gold siblings visit the fortune-teller and learn the day and year of their death. These dates are very different from one another, but they have one thing in common: they never let go of the four of them.
The fate of the siblings is then told in several stories and sections: Simon, who escapes his family’s professional obligations and constraints to go to San Francisco at the age of 16 and decides to lead a life that was highly unconventional at the time; Daniel, who is tormented by his family obligations and meets an unforeseen fate; Varya, who is predicted to have the longest life expectancy, but perhaps survives instead of making the most of her life; and Klara, who emerges as the “immortalist” and whose highly emotional inner life captivated me most as a reader.

The book deals with an interesting subject and Chloe Benjamin has created four wonderful, multi-dimensional characters whose deaths evoke incredible emotion and sometimes sadness in the reader. She describes the dynamics of a family that couldn’t be more different. At the same time, she raises the question of whether the Golds die on schedule because it’s their destiny, or whether it’s the supposed certainty that drives them to make certain decisions in life. A book that captivates readers and makes them think – highly recommended!

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself