Make a List!

I am always making lists - in my head.  I've got all these things going through my brain, things I need to do, things we need from the grocery store, etc.  But, because all my lists are just in my head, I forget a lot of things on those lists.  Because, of course, they're not really lists at all - they're just random things floating around my head.  So, I've been thinking for a long time that I really need to start making real lists - on paper.  But, of course, that was just another one of those random things floating around my head...

Then, this past weekend I was talking to one of my friends.  She makes lists!  It's the only way she can keep track of everything and get the things done that need doing.  I used to make lists.  I know I need to make lists.  Otherwise I'm going to keep running around in circles wondering why I never feel I'm getting anything done.  I've been thinking that for quite some time now.

So, this week I decided I would actually make a list - with a pen, on paper.  Did I do it right away on Monday morning as I tried to figure out what needed done this week?  Nope, I walked around thinking, "Make a list!" and adding things to the as-yet-unwritten list - in my head.  Until, finally I made myself sit down and start listing some of the things that were floating around in there.  And I made an actual list!  The first thing on my list?  Make a list!  After I got a few other things written down, I got to check that one off.  So at least it looked like I did something!

Except that at the end of the day, mostly I had a list with nothing checked off.  I made a list, and...

So I remembered something else my friend does - she writes things she already did on the list so she can check them off!  So I added 'wash dishes' and 'fix dinner' to my list so I could check them off.  Looking at it now, I realize I should have added 'do laundry' too.  There are probably plenty of things I accomplish every day that just don't seem important enough for a list, or that I don't feel need listed because I always do them - like laundry on Mondays and dinner and dishes every day.  I feel like my lists should be for things I want to accomplish outside the every day every week stuff I'm already doing, but sometimes I just don't have time for any extra stuff.  And that every day every week stuff?  It needs done again and again - getting it done doesn't really mean anything except that it's done - for now.  So yes, if I can put it on a list and check it off, at least I'll feel like I accomplished something, even if the next day (or sometimes the next hour) it doesn't look like I did anything at all!