Making a list, checking it twice applies all year
Process offers more benefits than one would expect
Iam a “list” person. In fact, I start out every Monday by making a to-do list, which helps keep me organized throughout the week. I’m a little old-school in my list-making process, using a notepad and pen. When I have a random thought of something that needs to be done and my list isn’t handy, I make a note on my phone, and then when I get back to my notebook, I write it down.
The process helps keep me organized, and at the same time, I get tremendous satisfaction when I can cross something off the list.
My list is split into sections. The left-hand side is work-related stuff, while the right-hand side is family stuff.
When it starts on Monday, I write down the tasks that I know I have to do every week. Then, I cross-check my calendar, and add any appointments.
After that, it’s a bit of a free-for-all. As stuff pops up, it’s added to the list.
Sometimes, the tasks are stuff I dread, and those tasks might get transferred several times, moving from week to week because I really just don’t want to deal with them.
Recently, the bouncing task was changing the oil in my car. Yes, I know – it’s a critical car maintenance step. And I’m not the one actually changing the oil, the mechanic is doing it. But making time to take care of it is another story. But finally, last weekend I took care of the car. It got an oil change, a car wash and a full tank of gas – and I got tremendous satisfaction when I got to cross a dreaded task off the list!
For me, lists are motivating. It’s a contract with my brain, helping me to see what projects or tasks are looming, and allowing me to prioritize what’s most important and what can wait. Then I get a little reward when it’s done – the joy of crossing it off.
Apparently, I’m not alone in this. According to a report in Psychology Today, lists have a variety of benefits, helping our memory and bringing focus to our days. The article notes that lists externalize what we need to remember, delivering information in a concise way.
A separate Psychology Today article notes that making a list can help us “foster a capacity to select and prioritize,” and “separate the minutia from what matters.”
And, by making a list, one is taking the “abstract to the concrete” which “sets the stage for commitment and action,” Psychology Today reports.
List-making can “organize and contain a sense of inner chaos, which can make your load feel more manageable.”
And perhaps that’s what resonates most with me. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the course of a day. Making a list keeps me organized, grounded and focused – and that is something I truly appreciate.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT?
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