I love Lists!

I admit it, I love lists. I love making lists and I love crossing things off my list. There are others out there just like me; die-hard list-makers, you know who and what I mean!
For as far back as I can remember I have written lists. Shopping lists, things to do each day, play lists, you name it and it’s probably been on one of my lists at some stage. Even as a child I had lists-I once listed all the states of America….just because. In a strange kind of way, when they have no actual purpose, lists can be fun. A list is only useful if it reveals a truth, solves a problem or leads to action. A list, for instance, will probably not help procrastinators get much done. Normally though, my lists have a purpose. A list brings order to my chaos and helps me to remember things. At the start they give me a sense of purpose and upon completion, satisfaction.
I’m currently in the midst of a few lists. What to organise at work before I am off for 2 weeks, what to get done at home before my op, a list of things to do while I’m sitting on my arse recuperating, and a list for my new daily routine for the next 2 weeks. In the process I have managed to get quite a bit done, stuff that I would probably have put off until ‘I have more time’. The truth is I never have time because I always find something else to do or distract me (on occasion I too am prone to procrastination-I mean, aren’t we all?), hence my need for lists!

Sometimes my lists appear overwhelming, and subsequently I stress about how I will ever get the entire list done-like seriously, how the f am I going to get all this done in my awake hours? yet I always seem to manage. And if I haven’t completed my list of to do things or I’ve forgotten something on my shopping list (which always happens without fail haha) I always just tack the leftovers on to my new list. So I don’t even know why I stress in the first place. Maybe because I’m a control freak and perhaps a little OCD! If you break down a big task into a list of smaller parts, the big task no longer looks overwhelming, so even when it remains uncompleted the huge task at hand has been reduced and looks a lot less daunting. I think that lists can relieve stress and focus the mind because they get to the heart of what it is we need to do to get through another day on this planet.
A list is also a promise. There’s something about making lists that’s pro-active. After all, isn’t making a list the first step in achieving everything on it? Isn’t writing down what needs to be done a statement that you intend to do what’s on it? An honest and well-intentioned list is a promise to your future self, even if that future is just eight hours or a week away. Together, the list and the list-maker work together to get things done. Whether it’s documented on sticky-notes (I always have about 4-in different colours on the go at once at work), on the backs of receipts, in a note pad or daily planner, or on my phone/iPad. And I just love Excel because the lists you can create on there are simply endless, and you can just change the order of your list at any time and even make rules for it. A nerds dream! And let’s not forget the sub list. You know, you’re going on a holiday and you make a list of things to pack. You just need to have sub categories. You can’t have your phone charger in the same list as your toiletries!
Lists can make also you feel better; you can write a list of things that make you happy, grateful, or a holiday list, you name it and I’m sure you can list it. Your list can contain whatever will pick you up when you are feeling low or unmotivated.
In our multitasking world, lists are a line drawn in the sand of insanity. They are a methodical, reasonable, old-fashioned way of getting things done consciously. Lists are a nod to the wisdom of mono-tasking; they’re a way to carve out some mental space to plan, to keep a healthy pace, and really complete a task before moving on to the next.

Suzi xx