Simply craft the lift with the following craft recipe:

wood stick wood
wood mese wood
wood stick wood

Now place your lift in a shaft or next to a wall. Right click on your lift to get on it and then tap spacebar to go up a level or tap shift to go down a level...
So easy!!!
If you want to stop the lift at any time, press the "use" key.
Now that you have reached your destination simply walk off the lift :)

If you want to be able to call your lift, create a lift door:

stick stick stick
stick door stick
stick stick stick

Place this in front of a lift shaft with a lift block and you will be able to call the lift :)