Are you a list maker?

I am. I used to not be but now I make lists. I DON'T make lists of lists, but I believe there are some out there that do {giggles}.

With our upcoming travels and the holidays, I NEED to make lists. Otherwise stuff wouldn't get done, packed, decorated. But I find that while I make some lists, some detailed some not, I don't always USE the lists when it comes to doing things.

Several years ago, my husband and I made a list of things we would like to get done for the year. It was the first week in January and we sat down separately and made our own lists and then came together to combine and discuss a family list, a joint list. It was really meaningful to do this. We spent probably several hours on this process. Then once the process was done, we closed the notebook we were using satisfied with our goals for the year and went back to our "regularly scheduled" programs. I found that list last month and I went to him and we read it together. Of the ten things we wanted to accomplish we did one, sell our car. It needed being sold so it wasn't really something we had to "strive" for, you know.

My lists do a couple things for me. One it settles me, two it organizes me, three it makes me focus. Right now I have three lists going. I have our Christmas preparations list, our Christmas gift list, and a packing list for a trip. Yup we are traveling, actually twice, this holiday break.

Along with my lists for major events I also like to make a time line. This helps me prioritize and give a deadline for getting the items on the list done. Does anyone else do that?

Often though, with my list, I don't seem to use it. Particularly when it comes to packing. Sometimes my list is just to organize me, and once I have written it, the items are in my brain and I don't need the list. Other times I will use it, refer back to it, and cross off the items on it.

What do you write your lists on? For me, it is usually anything I can get my hands on, a scrap of paper, an envelope, a torn piece of notebook paper, a legal pad. My lists aren't to keep forever, saved for future use. They are temporary. This brings me to replicating my lists. When we pack for a trip, we usually take the same stuff, pants, shirts, underwear, socks, toothbrush. But I still feel the need to write them down, there is something in writing the word "socks" that makes it stick in my brain. If it didn't write it, I would forget socks, 100% of the time! So for me, making a standard list on the computer and then printing it out and adding additional items as needed doesn't work for me.

So tell me about your list making??

Oh, and follow me (well this blog). Click on the "follow" button and you will get the updates. I would love some followers!