Before I could make my decision, my husband answered for me. "Your Mom's favorite part is making all those lists!" He was teasing, but he was right. We went on to list all the lists I make for Christmas- what to cook for dinner, what to bake, what to craft, what to do as a family, where to go on vacation days, people to buy things for, what to buy, what to make, what to mail, what to hand deliver, a card mailing list, an activity advent list, a kid gift list, a Santa list, a list of books to read, of scriptures of study.
Then we listed all the lists I make throughout the year- A New Year goal list, a Valentine celebration list of crafts and treats and such, a Dad birthday list, a spring cleaning list, a moving list, an Easter holiday list, an end of school year check list. A summer camp planning list, a vacation planning list, a packing list for each trip, a getting ready for school list. A birthday list for each kid, a Halloween list, a Thanksgiving list, and then we roll right in to Christmas listing again.
My church calling is one big list (RS secretary), I make daily to-do lists, shopping lists, menu lists, cleaning lists, chore lists for my kids, and I have a big list of back-logged posts I want to write for this blog. When I prepare a church talk or lesson I make a list. When I was in college I took notes as lists and re-wrote all those fun and fancy graphic organizers into lists and outlines. My cell phone menus and calendars are set to display in list mode. My previous blog posts have pretty much been big long lists! I keep lists of books I read and want to read. I compulsively buy journals and notebooks and pretty pads of paper for making more lists on. If I shrink my browser window, my pinterest boards display as an illustrated to-do list.
And because this post has no purpose other than to illustrate my list-making obsession, I will end with a list of why I love lists.
1. I can check things off. My task-oriented personality needs that tangible bit of evidence that I got something done. Even if it is just "Go to bed" at the end of the list!
2. It makes big tasks less overwhelming. It know it seems like the opposite would be true, and maybe for some it is- that "Clean the kitchen" would be harder to swallow than, "sweep, mop, wash counters, wash stove, empty dishwasher, load dishwasher, wash pans, tidy cupboards, organize pantry, wipe microwave, take out trash, wash cabinet doors and outside of appliances, clean out fridge." However, I will never be able to walk into the kitchen and clean it and be done. I will be able to walk in and out 30 times while trying to also be mom to four kids who need stuff. So it might take me three hours or three days to "clean the kitchen" and I will never, ever be done. And I need to be DONE. The detailed list gives me 5 or 10 chances to do something and be done, even if the big job never really gets finished.
3. I forget stuff less. I forget stuff. Important stuff. All the time. So I have to write it down. And if I want to actually remember to look at the stuff I write down, I need it to be in some sort of organized recognizable format. So I make lists. And as long as I don't lose the lists, I am good to go. And then some people even think I am one of those organized people, and I let them. It's one of the things on my list- to be more organized.
4. Kids can do lists. I hate micromanaging chore time or packing bags or whatever. I don't want to waste my time telling them what to do next every two minutes. So I make them a list. I can still be a control freak about how many pairs of socks and shorts they bring to the beach, but not have to tell them how many four different times. And "clean your room" is too big a job, but "Make the bed. Pick up your dirty clothes. Put the books on the shelf. Put the toys in the bin." is manageable.
5. Sometimes its looks that count. A gross job like taking out the trash or cleaning the bathroom just feels better if it is written in a list on pretty paper. Don't judge- it really helps!
6. Lists are less distracting. I am a very visual person, but instead of being drawn to flow charts and graphs and other pictorial tools used to present information, I just get distracted. I have to read it and study it and look at it all at the same time and it all stays there, in its blobs and arrows and colored sections. But then I don't know what to do with it. A list is simple and straight. You start at the top, read the whole thing down, and are done. A nice neat row of facts or principles or words or dates to sort, store, and remember without all the colors and lines getting in the way.
7. Lists are black and white, even if you write them in purple ink. I hate gray areas. I like things as absolutes- right and wrong, on or off, done or not, yes or no. This gets me in trouble sometimes with the gospel (compassion, mercy, the spirit of the law type things) or parenting (consistency, exceptions, fairness, and just plain changing my mind) but its still how I think and feel most comfortable when things are neatly spelled out in a checklist of sorts.
8. Lists force me to think and make choices and simplify. To turn the swirl of demands and worries and plans and wishes into something concise and tangible and manageable. And that is really good for me and my sleeping and my nails, which otherwise suffer from anxiety and distraction and general unproductive busy-ness.
9. Lists, especially completed ones with lots of scribbles and check marks that are ready to be thrown away, make me happy.
What's on your to-do list today?
1 comment:
I laughed at Mike teasing you about the lists.
I like lists, too. I am sort of addicted to sticky notes...so I can keep the lists near me at all times...like little square, brightly colored security blankets.
I KNOW you are an incredible RS secretary. You were the greatest Primary secretary in the history of the world. With RS you don't even have to split the sisters up by age to know which class they go in.
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