For the Love of Lists
Are you a list maker? I am. I love the structure and order that lists provide. I enjoy the sense of accomplishment I feel as I cross items off my list.
I have a variety of lists ongoing at any point in time. One of my lists is books I want to read (and books that I’ve read). I feel I spend more time compiling this list than reading the books, but time management is a discussion for another blog post.
A list I normally begin in October is my Christmas planning list. First item on the list is to prepare and mail the invitation to my annual “girls” Christmas dinner. In December, 1984, after our college graduation, I hosted a dinner for high school girlfriends. This year we are celebrating our 25th annual dinner with 8 – 10 friends in attendance. Once the invitation goes out, I start planning the menu. I always do all the cooking with new recipes – nothing tried and true. I can say that in 24 dinners, there have been no failures or flops – or at least my friends have been gracious enough to smile during the meal.
Decorating is next on the list. While I don’t start decorating until Thanksgiving, I like to start thinking about what I might do. This year, I’m looking for a white artificial Christmas tree for my dining room to decorate in purple, aqua, lime green and hot pink. I’ve never had a fake tree before, but I think this one will be fun.
There are other lists I keep: work, home, music to learn, movies to see. Lists have great value. Lists keep me organized and bring order to the chaos of my thinking. Lists help me manage my life on a few pieces of paper. Christmas – a season that should be spent celebrating the Savior – turns into a consumer oriented consumption of all things red, green and gold without a list to help me know when the purchasing should end and the celebration begin.
Another value of lists is that I remember what I don’t want to forget. We live in an age of information overload. Confining some of that information to a list can help me determine what information provides value to me. As an example, depending on the source material you look to for statistics, there are between 500 – 1000 movies made per year, in the U.S. alone. The number released is less than that, but certainly more than I can fit into my movie going schedule. So I rely on movie reviews and recommendations from friends and I keep my movie list on my iPhone where I can easily update it.
A final reason I love lists – they relieve stress. Just the act of making the list, putting the chaos on paper, causes my breathing to become more even and my blood pressure to return to normal. I can make a list anyplace – even when I’m sitting in a meeting or driving down the road (yes, I keep a pen and index cards handy so I can jot a quick note, then transfer it to the appropriate place later). Lists make me happy.
I have a variety of lists ongoing at any point in time. One of my lists is books I want to read (and books that I’ve read). I feel I spend more time compiling this list than reading the books, but time management is a discussion for another blog post.
A list I normally begin in October is my Christmas planning list. First item on the list is to prepare and mail the invitation to my annual “girls” Christmas dinner. In December, 1984, after our college graduation, I hosted a dinner for high school girlfriends. This year we are celebrating our 25th annual dinner with 8 – 10 friends in attendance. Once the invitation goes out, I start planning the menu. I always do all the cooking with new recipes – nothing tried and true. I can say that in 24 dinners, there have been no failures or flops – or at least my friends have been gracious enough to smile during the meal.
Decorating is next on the list. While I don’t start decorating until Thanksgiving, I like to start thinking about what I might do. This year, I’m looking for a white artificial Christmas tree for my dining room to decorate in purple, aqua, lime green and hot pink. I’ve never had a fake tree before, but I think this one will be fun.
There are other lists I keep: work, home, music to learn, movies to see. Lists have great value. Lists keep me organized and bring order to the chaos of my thinking. Lists help me manage my life on a few pieces of paper. Christmas – a season that should be spent celebrating the Savior – turns into a consumer oriented consumption of all things red, green and gold without a list to help me know when the purchasing should end and the celebration begin.
Another value of lists is that I remember what I don’t want to forget. We live in an age of information overload. Confining some of that information to a list can help me determine what information provides value to me. As an example, depending on the source material you look to for statistics, there are between 500 – 1000 movies made per year, in the U.S. alone. The number released is less than that, but certainly more than I can fit into my movie going schedule. So I rely on movie reviews and recommendations from friends and I keep my movie list on my iPhone where I can easily update it.
A final reason I love lists – they relieve stress. Just the act of making the list, putting the chaos on paper, causes my breathing to become more even and my blood pressure to return to normal. I can make a list anyplace – even when I’m sitting in a meeting or driving down the road (yes, I keep a pen and index cards handy so I can jot a quick note, then transfer it to the appropriate place later). Lists make me happy.
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