Living a life of lists

                                               This is an example of a list that I make every day.

                                                This is a list that I make before shopping

    I love to make lists as I aim to be productive each and every day.

    I do this as a habit and I also believe it is comforting to have hobbies, goals and the like. 

    In addition, I can't seem to remember what I want to do unless I make a list!

    I read a daily newspaper, and that is my top goal. Second most important goal is exercise, on a somewhat daily basis. The house is kept clean, and I mark that on lists, as well as normal items. As an example: Wednesday is Trash Day, so husband Steve and I make sure the trash is out and bin is filled.

    There is research to support this practice, which I have been doing ever since I can remember. See an article from The Guardian, online: 

    "Dr. David Cohen, an author and psychologist, explains our love of lists is due to three reasons: They dampen anxiety about the chaos of life, they give us a structure and plan to stick to and they are proof of what we have achieved that day, week or month."

    "More recently, a study by professors Baumeister and Masicampo from Wake Forest University showed that, while tasks we haven't done distract us, just making a plan to get them done can free us from this anxiety. The pair observed that people under-perform on a task when they are unable to finish a warm-up activity that would usually precede it. However, when participants were allowed to make and note down concrete plans to finish the warm-up activity, performance on the next task substantially improved. 

    "Some people resist this kind of structure, however. They think it will stymie their creativity or prevent them from being flexible with their working day. Time management expert David Allen, whose book "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity," has made him a cult figure in the field: He believes the free-spirited types are plain wrong, and anyone with a full schedule and no structure will struggle to cope. A system is needed, and scribbled notes on a hand won't cut it.

    The lists you see in the attached photos are made at night, before bedtime. I lift weights twice each week, and that is noted on the respective days. I also clean the house bi-weekly, so I note that on a list.

    Lists are such a habit that I have memorized them, more or less. I tend to follow them away from home -- even on vacation!