Wednesday, April 2, 2008

lists



I love writing lists. Clearly this is part of my 'I'm all about the planning' personality.

I recently found a notebook with January resolutions in it, from 07. I'm ashamed to admit, they were all the same as this years, as I had completed fuck all of them. Hmm.
I find writing lists soothing, though. It allows me to get the tangle of stuff that's in my head halfway organised, and clearer, helps me see what's doable after all, what isn't and doesn't need to be thought about.

Lots of items are there permanently:
Tesco, milk bread eggs
recycling
ironing (often the same pile as on the last list)
hoover
post letter you haven't got round to posting in months...
sort clothes in bedroom
claim tax back, get bupa receipts sorted

Other lists are things I can't do yet, but listing them makes me feel like I might yet be able to one day:
new carpets
French doors in kitchen
wall of shelves
Shomra
custom built wardrobes in bedroom
new windows, front door
range cooker
sustainable energy stuff

Self improvement lists:
Lose weight
exercise
stop shouting at daughter
be tidy
Less computer

And aspirational lists :
Buy Children's Writers' handbook, find agent
Illustrate books
massage course
Italian class

I'd highly recommend the list process for when you wake up at night and can't sleep for thinking. It tends to get it out of your head, like a pensieve.

I was cheered when I read an article about to-do lists and how they can be counter productive. The writer's friend had been writing 'move paint can in sitting room' on her to do lists for about six months. That's me, that is.

I would happily upload a photo of one of my lists, but I've needed to buy batteries for the camera since Good Friday.


6 comments:

Rob said...

Add "batteries" to list

Jo said...

Yep, that's the point.
I actually haven't. It's hard to buy batteries, they're one of those things that seem unacceptably expensive. And I need to get rechargeable ones, as the ordinary one last for about three photos in the digital camera. But then everyone says hte rechargeable ones are crap and stop working really fast - so that's another thing I've done nothing about. I need a consumer guru.

Rob said...

...or more money

or a more efficient camera...

or maybe you can just tell us about the lists, and leave the camera for important things like children, sunsets and the occasionnal "just happened to be there at the time" political assasination

His Girl Friday said...

howdy,
I like your lists, they remind me of some of mine. Rechargeable are great until you (or someone else in the house who uses your things often) forgets to plug in the recharger. :)

Jo said...

Hiya, hgf.

I bet if we swapped lists, we'd get eachother's tasks done in a flash - it's just doing your own stuff that drags so much.

I can clean in other people's houses, just not my own!

His Girl Friday said...

Hi J,
too true, too true! I think it's the repetition that gets to me, or it's just the never ending time-consuming little things...that's when the idea of a beach chair by the shore sipping on a Margarita comes into my consciousness!! :))

haha about cleaning others' houses...my area at work is neat and tidy, but you should see my desk at home...paper explosion!! ;D
...as for a clean house, what's that?! ;))