The Art of Lists

People have been writing lists for years.  Cave women probably chiseled lists into rock.  

• 1. Skin Woolly Mammoth
• 2. Make bone broth and freeze extra.
• 3. Construct Woolly Mammoth ponchos for family.

Pioneer women didn't need lists because they had that "work" poem to keep them on the righteous track. 

I have never been one for lists, other than the occasional grocery list.  I leave list writing for the Type A's and the people who can't keep everything they need to do in their heads.  Because I remember absolutely everything.

Kristen, practicing the extreme sport of list writing while climbing a mountain.

My Starbucks friend, Kristen, loves to write lists.  Kristen has a stockpile of slim tablets and cool pens for this purpose.  Kristen will write daily lists, weekly lists, personal daily lists, work weekly lists, and . . . you get the idea.  After completing a task, she marks it off with an efficient check mark.  The kind your 4th grade teacher used to make on your math worksheet, before worksheets were deemed evil.  I would watch Kristen write and complete her lists, while finished the dregs of my hours old dark roast.  What was I getting accomplished while Kristen changed the world?  Not much.

Ah?  Kristen???  Is it cheating to have "Finish climbing this mountain" on your list?  Just asking.

(What?  You haven't met Kristen?  Here is a link to a previous post about her. For the technically challenged, you need to right click on the words "Starbucks Friend." STARBUCKS FRIEND)  

Yes!  This is exactly how I want my Summer holiday to be!

Summer holiday has taken the structure out of my life. (I like how "Summer holiday" sounds instead of "Summer vacation." "Holiday" sounds like I have more money than I actually do.) Tuesday, I was still in my jammies at 11:00 AM.  My biggest accomplishment was cutting up half a cantaloupe for the kids.
While sitting on the couch, watching the kids devour my accomplishment of the day, a foreign thought ran through my head. Maybe I should start writing lists and stop spending my days rolling around like a buffalo in the dust.  So.  I wrote a list. 

Of course Starbucks was first on the list.  I needed the temporary energy a venti dark roast with light cream would provide.  

A crazy thing happened - the list motivated me to get going.  I enjoyed crossing things off and moving onto the next thing. Then several days passed without writing a list and I got that "buffalo rolling in dust" feeling.  So, I wrote another list.  Off I went - doing stuff and crossing things off.  Then it occurred to me that I was doing things and not getting any "credit for them.  (I am a teacher after all and like to get credit even if it is fake credit.)  I decided to add the category, "Extras", to my list.  BAM!  Now I could record other things I was doing that kept me from my list.  If that makes any sense.

WAY too advanced.  Whoever designed this should get extra credit.

I have been hearing about bullet journals on some of my podcast. Apparently bullet journals are a sophisticated way to write lists that involve cool notebooks and different colored pens.  (Two things I adore.)  Devotees of bullet journals claimed they are a life changer. I searched bullet journals on Pinterest and couldn't grasp all the crazy rules.  If I am going to adhere to insane rules, I am going to create them myself.

Must be time to get out the notepad and write a list.

The questions remain.  

• Will I morph into a Type A list writing gal?  
• Will I nimbly power through impossibly long lists with ease?  
• Will I answer the bullet journal's siren song?
• OR will I only write lists on those "buffalo rolling in the dust" days.

Prairie Eydie