There are a variety of thoughts on To-Do lists.
I’m addicted – I love them – I love the satisfaction of checking them off and of looking at them at the end of the day and seeing how much I accomplished. The satisfaction of a day well spent. But that is just me.

Some people, my sister for example, hate them – it is to them a nagging reminder listing all their failures taunting them throughout the day.

To-Do lists serve as reminders for us feeble minded souls who can’t remember 10 things, never mind 50. They allow you to choose smaller things when time is short and to bully you into the larger things that seem overwhelming. They free up your brain to focus on one thing at a time without worrying about forgetting all the rest. However, they may not be all good. The simple act of putting something on the list can create a sense of urgency where this is none. A long list can become overwhelming and a sense of failure may accompany it if not enough items are checked off. It can even (contrary to one’s first thought) become a time waster if it becomes a focus (for example – for a period of my life I would rewrite my list each time I crossed something off so it looked neater!)

A friend once told me her therapist suggested she have no more than 5 things on her To-Do list so that she not become overwhelmed. This would not work for me. If I was only juggling 5 things, I would not need to write them down!

Nowadays you have a host of online To-Do lists available including Ta-Da, Bla-Bla, Tu-do, and Remember the Milk to bring the paper To-Do list into the new century. There is even a book about To-Do lists that shares the To-Do lists of famous people and the stories behind them. Ever wonder what your To-Do list says about you? You can find out at the authors website www.sashcagen.com.

Another idea I have come across is the Not To-Do list – this one comes in handy as a parent and when trying to break some bad habits. Just writing the goal of not doing something can help reinforce your commitment to stop the behavior.

A book I read once suggested a “what I accomplished today list” – this is good for the end of the day especially when you are feeling like nothing got done – at times I have resorted to putting “got out of bed” on this list.

To-Do lists are even touted by Universities of learning. Cornell suggests to their new students that the three things that are essential for a To-Do list are:

- making a new To-Do list everyday
- prioritizing the tasks
- breaking things down into small pieces

I wonder if it’s considered cheating if I leave yesterdays accomplishments on the paper just to feel good!

(article written – one more thing off my To-Do list!)

Resources:

sashacagen.com
tadalist.com
blablalist.com
rememberthemilk.com