Note to Self: 12 List-Making Strategies to Put You Ahead of the Game
Organise your personal must-dos with some practical list-making techniques that take the pain out of planning
According to many psychologists, making lists is a valuable therapy tool for reducing stress and creating a sense of control. Those enigmatic marks on cave walls may actually have been the first lists: ‘pick up woolly mammoth, find woman, invent the wheel’. A list is just a record of a number of items, but its value lies in how these are organised and how they shape your activities. My experience comes from years of organising commercial kitchens, which work in the same way as a busy household. Whether you organise yourself electronically or choose more traditional methods, the principles of good list-making are the same. I have based this story on my own process for managing my week, which can be applied to more electronic methods.
Knowing the difference between a good list and a bad one is a game-changer. A bad list – what I call a ‘brain dump’ – will make you anxious, even panicky, and tired before you tackle even one item on it. A good list, on the other hand, will make you feel energised, calm, resolved and in control. Facing the week with a feeling of dread can be a thing of the past with a good list. Try these techniques to help set you on the road to becoming a calm and collected A-list lister.
Knowing the difference between a good list and a bad one is a game-changer. A bad list – what I call a ‘brain dump’ – will make you anxious, even panicky, and tired before you tackle even one item on it. A good list, on the other hand, will make you feel energised, calm, resolved and in control. Facing the week with a feeling of dread can be a thing of the past with a good list. Try these techniques to help set you on the road to becoming a calm and collected A-list lister.
2. Create a planning space
If you don’t have a separate office, set up a spot where you will be undisturbed, preferably behind closed doors, so you can settle yourself in a quiet, uncluttered place away from possible distractions. Have phone numbers, addresses, a calendar, a clock, timetables and a diary at your fingertips.
WHY? A good list needs your full concentration.
More: Creative Calendar Ideas for a Stylishly Organised Home
If you don’t have a separate office, set up a spot where you will be undisturbed, preferably behind closed doors, so you can settle yourself in a quiet, uncluttered place away from possible distractions. Have phone numbers, addresses, a calendar, a clock, timetables and a diary at your fingertips.
WHY? A good list needs your full concentration.
More: Creative Calendar Ideas for a Stylishly Organised Home
3. Choose your medium
Are you a paperless clean-desk lister, confident with spreadsheets and electronic diaries and calendars? Or do you think there is no substitute for a lovely big blank writing pad and a fresh pad of sticky notes? If this is you, you’ll need a chalkboard, pin board, cork board, whiteboard, glass surface or pegboard – something you can erase, move or add items to easily. Most of us probably fall somewhere between the electronic and the manual. Decide what planning tools will serve you best.
WHY? A good lister needs good tools.
Are you a paperless clean-desk lister, confident with spreadsheets and electronic diaries and calendars? Or do you think there is no substitute for a lovely big blank writing pad and a fresh pad of sticky notes? If this is you, you’ll need a chalkboard, pin board, cork board, whiteboard, glass surface or pegboard – something you can erase, move or add items to easily. Most of us probably fall somewhere between the electronic and the manual. Decide what planning tools will serve you best.
WHY? A good lister needs good tools.
Like the dinosaur I probably am, I fancy the ‘sticky note’. They are among the top five best-selling office products in the world. I keep a pad in my handbag and tuck them in drawers all over the house. They can form the flexible basis for your list, and if you make a note on the run, it can be easily slotted into your work plan.
WHY? They are light, cheap, portable, non-damaging to surfaces, facilitate colour-coding and are invaluable for reminders and organising many-faceted schedules.
See more of this creative office in Stickybeak of the Week: A Meeting Room With a Difference.
WHY? They are light, cheap, portable, non-damaging to surfaces, facilitate colour-coding and are invaluable for reminders and organising many-faceted schedules.
See more of this creative office in Stickybeak of the Week: A Meeting Room With a Difference.
4. Master the master list
Start at the top. Record all the tasks and activities you want to or must achieve in the week. Keep it general – John’s birthday, book club, plant bulbs, sort wardrobe. Divide them into three categories of importance, based on ‘critical’,’important but not critical’ and ‘useful of time’. Colour-code or mark them A, B and C. I use three colours of sticky notes, which I then transfer to a whiteboard divided into the days of the week.
WHY? Honestly assessing the urgency of each item ensures only essential time-critical tasks have first claim on your time and enables you to shuffle less vital ones around.
Start at the top. Record all the tasks and activities you want to or must achieve in the week. Keep it general – John’s birthday, book club, plant bulbs, sort wardrobe. Divide them into three categories of importance, based on ‘critical’,’important but not critical’ and ‘useful of time’. Colour-code or mark them A, B and C. I use three colours of sticky notes, which I then transfer to a whiteboard divided into the days of the week.
WHY? Honestly assessing the urgency of each item ensures only essential time-critical tasks have first claim on your time and enables you to shuffle less vital ones around.
5. Do a time check
Once you have your master list, estimate roughly how long to allow for each item and jot it next to each one. Be generous with your estimate, especially if it is an unfamiliar task. This will build in valuable wriggle-room for unexpected incidents.
WHY? There are only 24 hours in a day.
Once you have your master list, estimate roughly how long to allow for each item and jot it next to each one. Be generous with your estimate, especially if it is an unfamiliar task. This will build in valuable wriggle-room for unexpected incidents.
WHY? There are only 24 hours in a day.
6. Look at the big picture
Transfer master list items to your planning board, according to the days you wish to or have to do them. Do the maths with your time estimates and decide whether your daily program will fit in your available time. Move items around until you have seven realistic days to look forward to with confidence. Don’t set yourself too punishing a schedule – put non-essential items aside for your next planning session.
WHY? Setting realistic targets generates a sense of satisfaction for jobs done, instead of panic when you don’t achieve the impossible.
Transfer master list items to your planning board, according to the days you wish to or have to do them. Do the maths with your time estimates and decide whether your daily program will fit in your available time. Move items around until you have seven realistic days to look forward to with confidence. Don’t set yourself too punishing a schedule – put non-essential items aside for your next planning session.
WHY? Setting realistic targets generates a sense of satisfaction for jobs done, instead of panic when you don’t achieve the impossible.
7. Build in balance
Alternate chores requiring physical or mental effort with less strenuous ones. Every daily or weekly list should include an activity that you really look forward to, be it a five-minute phone call with someone who makes you laugh, catching up with friends for lunch or a yoga class. Anticipate these respites with pleasure and enjoy them without guilt.
WHY? Variety prevents boredom and stops stress build-up.
Alternate chores requiring physical or mental effort with less strenuous ones. Every daily or weekly list should include an activity that you really look forward to, be it a five-minute phone call with someone who makes you laugh, catching up with friends for lunch or a yoga class. Anticipate these respites with pleasure and enjoy them without guilt.
WHY? Variety prevents boredom and stops stress build-up.
8. Save your sanity with sub-lists
Next, split general tasks into do-able units. Consider an item such as ‘John’s birthday’. You could look at this several times and run in ever-diminishing circles until it is too late to do anything about it. Or you could make a sub-list:
WHY? Eating the biggest elephant starts with a nibble on his ear.
Next, split general tasks into do-able units. Consider an item such as ‘John’s birthday’. You could look at this several times and run in ever-diminishing circles until it is too late to do anything about it. Or you could make a sub-list:
- Invite guests
- Book restaurant
- Buy gift
- Make cake
WHY? Eating the biggest elephant starts with a nibble on his ear.
Here is another example of sub-listing. Planning the week’s dinner meals is a great start in a busy household. Expand this list into sub-lists of food purchases required, how many mouths to feed and where to find recipes needed. One bumper shopping expedition is more time and energy efficient than several small sorties. With all ingredients to hand, you can swap meals around, cook double quantities to freeze and assign some tasks to other household members.
9. Share the load
Keeping a household humming smoothly when you are the only organised person in the house can be a heavy load. Foster a team mentality and teach your kids early to take some responsibility for their own schedules. Assign some tasks on your list to the troops, with an eye to their age and abilities.
WHY? Teamwork promotes harmony.
Keeping a household humming smoothly when you are the only organised person in the house can be a heavy load. Foster a team mentality and teach your kids early to take some responsibility for their own schedules. Assign some tasks on your list to the troops, with an eye to their age and abilities.
WHY? Teamwork promotes harmony.
10. Forget multi-tasking
The ability to do several things at once is seen as an admirable skill, and no doubt some people have mastered it. Mostly it is a recipe for chaos, resulting in memory lapses, backtracking and poor results. Concentrate on the job in hand, complete it and then move methodically to the next. Uncompleted jobs can be moved to your next list-making session.
WHY? Doing one thing at a time means a sense of completion and a calmer you.
The ability to do several things at once is seen as an admirable skill, and no doubt some people have mastered it. Mostly it is a recipe for chaos, resulting in memory lapses, backtracking and poor results. Concentrate on the job in hand, complete it and then move methodically to the next. Uncompleted jobs can be moved to your next list-making session.
WHY? Doing one thing at a time means a sense of completion and a calmer you.
11. Just do it
Procrastination, as we know, is the thief of time. While I am quoting hackneyed self-help homilies, here’s a good one that should go at the very top of your list: ‘The best way to get something done is to begin it’. Be confident that the time you spent planning will stand you in good stead.
WHY? The best list in the world is useless if nothing flows from it.
Procrastination, as we know, is the thief of time. While I am quoting hackneyed self-help homilies, here’s a good one that should go at the very top of your list: ‘The best way to get something done is to begin it’. Be confident that the time you spent planning will stand you in good stead.
WHY? The best list in the world is useless if nothing flows from it.
12. Go off-list
The great thing about list-making is that as you master it, you’ll find work more enjoyable and will have more time available for social, leisurely and family activities. Every so often, forget about lists, schedules, plans and responsibilities and have a day or even just a morning ‘off-list’.
WHY? The world will get by without you for a few hours.
TELL US
Do you have any load-lightening, time-saving, list-making tips? Please share them with us in the Comments section.
MORE
10 Organisation Habits to Establish This Year
How to Give Paper the Flick for Good
10 Ideas for Keeping Your Tech Organised
The great thing about list-making is that as you master it, you’ll find work more enjoyable and will have more time available for social, leisurely and family activities. Every so often, forget about lists, schedules, plans and responsibilities and have a day or even just a morning ‘off-list’.
WHY? The world will get by without you for a few hours.
TELL US
Do you have any load-lightening, time-saving, list-making tips? Please share them with us in the Comments section.
MORE
10 Organisation Habits to Establish This Year
How to Give Paper the Flick for Good
10 Ideas for Keeping Your Tech Organised
Maybe Sunday evening is your best opportunity to organise the week. Choose a time when you will be uninterrupted by noise and other demands and when you can regularly dedicate half an hour or more to quiet concentration.
WHY? Making this time sacrosanct and non-negotiable establishes a routine and is the first step to a less stressful week.