The List

Not so long ago, I posted about stitches.  In that week, I also wrote this post, which has been repeatedly bumped by other posts that seemed ... more....  timely somehow.   However, in those posts about Stitches, I've talked about the Stitches List.  In a post before the Stitches review mentioned another list. 

That list  wound up being six pages of information - each page was the size of a 3x5 card, but oriented the other way.

It reminded me that it's time to make a confession about The List.  You may recall that a couple of years ago I determined to keep a list of all the things I needed to do, crossing off each item as it was accomplished.  I had been going along like gangbusters until I lost the list.  I'm pretty sure I blogged about it, but I can't find the post.  After several days of looking, I caved and started up a new list.

Anyway... That list was a good thing.  It lets me keep track of things I wanted to do, and lets me get escape the hamster wheel of worry about whether I've forgotten to do something.  I think of a thing I want/need/ought to do, or a thing I need to buy next time I'm at the store, and I write it on the list.  Then, I needn't worry about forgetting it, so I can turn my attention to the doing.  When the deed is done, I mark it off.

When I started Massage School last year, I kind of set aside other lists, and focused on one that seemed to always say:

1. Read pp x - xxx in ____ textbook

2. Study for quiz in _____

3. Do home work massages

rinse, repeat.

I even found a few list apps that let you type things in and sync them from computer to phone etc. (Ever Note and Springpad in particular).  I filled them up with the stuff from the syllabi, which meant I never had to look for them to see what I had to read. Having an interactive list on your phone is a good way to keep from losing it.  Even so, I still rather like the hand written list.

Now that school is over (for me anyway, it's just starting for the girls), I've returned to the old list.  And yes, I was actually able to FIND the old list -- the one that I started in 20011. 

Yes, The List  still has things like "Study for Exam" on it, but it once again has things like Blog, and Invite <insert names> for dinner, and finish tech editing ___ pattern; publish pattern.

We will not discuss that it still has on it, from January 2011 the following:

Put Zipper in Rogue Sweater

Put Zipper in Wolf Sweater

ahem.

We will also omit any extended discussion of the fact that the list went from last year's ten items to a rather daunting 9 20-line pages long (though some items on the list take more than one line to write out, so it's not THAT bad).  Suffice it to say that the list includes items related to studying for the NCTMBE, a set of future blog post topics, stuff I need to do for my next Board Meeting (another blog topic), housekeeping chores, errands to run, and long term plans.  The list does not yet include anything related to the Holidays that happen in December.

I'm happy to report that in the first ten days after restarting the list, I crossed off 32 things.  It would be more, except there were things like balancing the checkbook that I just up and did without putting them on the list first.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go do some more of the things on my list.  I get an kick out of crossing them off.  In fact, I get to cross something off as soon as I hit "publish" on this post. (It occurred to me that it would be both fun and frightening to put the list up here in blogland, where the fact that others could see it might motivate me to get some of the lingering things done.  For now, I'm opting for keeping my tasks to myself).

 

Comments

[kmkat]

Whenever I make a to-do list I pre-reward myself by putting something on it that I have already done. Then I get to cross it off right away. Silly, but it makes me happy.