A List for Every Occasion SAGE Column July 2010
When I work with clients there are two things I always find as we explore their piles. One is money and the other is abandoned lists – written on what ever scrap of paper was handy at the time.
A list is not a plan, just a piece of a plan. Having a plan will help you figure out which items on the list are actually important and the steps to achieve your plan.
Overwhelm happens when you subscribe to these misconceptions: “I have a list and it is my plan. If I write it down I will get it all done.”
Starting with the belief that you can get 87 things done in a day is setting yourself up to feel bad when you can’t finish your list. An effective list is never complete, new items are added and evaluated against your goals and plan.
I recommend creating your own book of lists out of all your other scattered lists. It will be the safe place to keep all your ideas in one spot. Then pick your daily tasks from this master list. When you use one spot for lists, your list will become self-correcting. Items that you are not really interested in will expire or become obvious. Items that are important – to your plan – will bubble to the top. In addition, there will be fewer scraps of paper cluttering up your space.
Your book can be subdivided into categories if you like. This will help when working on similar tasks at the same time. Then develop routines for the ongoing stuff. This frees up time to complete the important stuff.
There is nothing like the satisfaction of crossing a completed task off your list – unless you are a checkmark kind of person. In either case, do it with a flourish.
Tags: list, organizing, overwhelm getting things done, simplify, to do
Good one, Miriam! I plan to share this one.