3 myths about lists :)

There are two types of people in this world – those who like lists and those who don’t.

This post is for those who don’t like lists 🙂

lists are boring

A list is only as boring as your imagination! You can and should put some fun things on there too as well as tasks to do.

I recently started putting things like “finish James Patterson book” on my weekend lists because all I was doing was chores. I loved the change so much that I now regularly put fun things like “phone _____ for a lovely, long chat” and “paint fingernails” on my lists just to jazz them up 😉

lists are a bind because they have tons of items on them

Well, that depends on the type of list. A master list and a checklist often do have tons of things on them but a daily to-do list really should have no more than about 6 items.

I’ve shared before how when I only have 6 items on my to-do list, I get through them all easily but when I try to be SuperWoman and add lots more, I get even less than 6 done! I showed a coaching client my diary once and she was amazed.

When you find the right list, your life will change

No, no, no! The list is only the tool.

I used to subscribe to tons of productivity sites and really, many of them were all about the perfect tool. A tool is exactly that – something to help you get something else done.

Many people are so intent on creating the perfect list or finding the perfect planner that they get into an analysis paralysis mentality.

Because when you’re obsessing about the perfect to-do list, you stop actually doing the things on the list, right?

The truth is it doesn’t matter what you use as long as you get it down somewhere – whether on a post-it note, in a gorgeous notebook or in your phone.

So how am I doing with my lists?

I still use a weekly list and take off up to 6 items (sometimes a lot less) to do in a day.

My new  favourite thing is doing a mind-map list for my weekly planning. I do a spoke for each area of my life – husband, babies, house, work, business, health and fitness, etc. And then, off each spoke, I make new mini-branches with things I have to do.

Do you have any other beliefs about list-making?

Do you make lists? What works well for you?

P.S. There are some lovely lists (standard ones and mind maps) waiting for you in the free Organising Success Pack

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Comments

  1. I cannot live anymore without a list. I used to be able to manage mental lists….. but as I age and my mind takes in more and more… LOL… the mental lists just don’t work. I feel a great deal of pride and joy and comfort as I cross off things on my list, big and little… I feel like I have accomplished something and that my big projects are getting smaller!

  2. I have to admit I usually have a huge daily to do list, much bigger than just 6 items actually. But many of those items are just the “normal” stuff (morning, midday and evening routine) that I write down just for the pleasure to cross it off! Is that cheating?? LOL

  3. What a great suggestion to put fun items on your list. I need to start doing that.

    I recently heard to a new app/program called toodledo where you can prioritize and set dates for your to do items and it will email you each morning with your list.

  4. I like the idea of mind maps much more than lists, but does it help when there are too many branches?

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