I love to cross things off to-do lists. You probably do, too. Sometimes, I even add completed tasks to my list just so I can cross them out.

To-do lists are such a great task management tool, in fact, that we sometimes forget that the items on our to-do list are just steps toward the larger outcomes to which we’re committed. In other words, it’s not about your to-do list—it’s about your goals. Focus on your goals, and they’ll fill your to-do list with important tasks for you to conquer and cross off. Focus only on completing today’s to-do list, though, and you may be simply running in place.