List making serves the obvious purpose of aiding my memory at a particular moment; but, more than that, I believe it organizes and frees my mind. When I write down what I need to attend to, some process begins of it’s own accord that connects wires and produces ideas that I hadn’t thought of before. Sometimes, I don’t even need to refer to a list for the rest of the day. The simple act of writing it down has given me the necessary direction. Other times, my list provides the backbone of my day, standing firm against falsely urgent Sirens.
Amazingly, my lists engender flexibility. Energy that might have been used up by little bits of information constantly needing to be recaptured is now able to be used on a higher level. Creative opportunities present themselves. Solutions to the days challenges have been known to unexpectedly appear as the list naturally reveals priorities. I do not permit a list to become a tyrant. It is always a servant, designed by me for my benefit. Also, lists are expected to accommodate unanticipated things, whether it be what my husband needs/wants me to do or variable needs of other family members. Actually, the list helps to quickly evaluate adjustments to make this possible.
I regularly have daily lists, carry-over lists, long term to-do lists for specific categories, reusable charts. They all evolve as life changes. Below is a copy of my current master grocery list. I usually have a copy of it on the refrigerator. I frequently use simple code next to an item if I want to remember to get it at a certain store. You can also see that I have a list of certain stores where I often shop, but don’t have regular enough items to get there. My motto could be: Take a load off of your mind, make a list.
