The Myths of Lists

1. I kept hearing about a movie called The Bucket List. Movie-goers tended to rate the movie higher than the professional reviewers. Maybe the critics missed their mark on this one!

Central to the movie is a list. We organizers just love lists, so it was no surprise that I liked the film which stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone, but since the word LIST is in the film title, we can certainly talk about lists here. Click to learn more about the Myths of Lists.

Here are five Myths of Lists:

1. Long lists are most effective. Actually, short lists of 3 to 5 items are less daunting and subtly encourage us to keep moving through the tasks. While long term lists can be valuable for capturing many tasks, try bringing no more than 5 items to a visible To Do list.
2. The minds works as well as paper for tracking To Do items. We're human. We forget even though we truly intend to remember. Written goals have an 80% better chance of be accomplished than unwritten goals.
3. Lined paper always works best for lists. While lined paper may work well, other systems may work better for you. Your computer's Task List function, note cards, or a journal may better fit your style. Experiment to find a system that works consistently for you.
4. If it is on a list, the task must be done. Examine your lists to see if there are items that never get crossed off. Consider why the job never gets done. Give yourself permission to delete the item if it is no longer relevant. Break down the task into smaller segments if that is the problem.
5. To Do lists are always work-related. Include some fun items on your list. Make a lists of things to do on a snow day or books to check out when you get to the library.

Lists can make us more productive and enrich our lives. Use the Post a Comment to share how you use lists to make better use of your time and talents.

Comments

[Bruce Hammitt]

Ellen:

Great article about keeping lists of things to get accomplished. I have been a list maker for over 40 years now. I make my lists first thing in the morning. I always try to put the most difficult things first so I can attend to them while my day is still fresh.

Your five points listed above are
very good. This would be good information for kids in school.

Bruce