Gain focus and clarity by making lists

My husband dislikes my lists – until just recently. The fact that I didn’t pick up lunch meat at the grocery store a while back, because it wasn’t “on the list,” may have been the deciding factor in him now supporting my list-making “dark side” as he calls it.

For many years, he poked fun at me and called me a control freak etc. What he didn’t realize until recently is how that little piece of paper others dislike so badly is often the only thing that keeps me functioning properly. Many times it’s the only thing that brings order to my otherwise crazy life as a professional, wife and mom. How else would I remember to schedule a kid’s doctor appointment, pick-up prescriptions, drop-off my pants to at the dry cleaners, get my oil changed and still remember to buy that nail polish remover I’ve been meaning to pick-up for the last month? Not to mention lists for my professional life.

Perhaps I am a control freak to some, but for me, lists put me in control, period.

What others fail to see is that list making can be a simple, tactical way to clear your mind and give you the mental freedom you need to relax. More importantly, it gives you the focus and the ability to see all that needs to happen (from small to large tasks, to wish lists and life goals), it shows you how to prioritize your life and bring value to it by achieving your goals, tasks, “to-do’s” or however you’d like to refer to your own list. Lists are my personal way to see past procrastination and make my life happen.

I typically have four lists at any given time: 1) task list for the office, which includes long-term goals; 2) day-of task list for the office (the “needs to happen today” list so I don’t fall behind on the tasks at-hand); 3) personal shopping list that sits on my kitchen counter and is added to as the week proceeds (as a working mom, there’s simply no time to worry about picking up cookies for a child’s class and light bulbs for the porch all week long); and 4) a miscellaneous list that contains reminders for birthday cards, holiday event planning needs, etc.

Consider this blog my nod of approval to you, fellow list-crazed professional wives and moms who juggle a handful of full-time jobs 24-7. Regain clarity, relieve stress and feel good about regularly crossing off items on your list. It is, after all, an indication that you are achieving your goals.