Why We Love a List

Lists help you work out what needs to be done and in what order, write down the tasks, do them, and then, one-by-one, cross them out. 

 

Lists help calm anxiety about the chaos of life; they give us a structure, a plan that we can stick to; and they are proof of what we have achieved that day, week or month, which in turn makes us feel more productive and good about what we have accomplished. 

 

In days gone by and we mean many days, our brains had more capacity. Today our lifestyles are fast, non-stop and our brains have to remember much more. Research has shown that we remember things that need to be done better than things we have done. This is the so called “Zeigarnik effect” Lists help with freeing up our head space. 

 

Simply writing tasks down will make you more effective and proactive. 

 

Try not to fight it! Lists won’t dampen your creativity or flexibility. If you have a full schedule and little structure, it’s likely you will struggle to cope. A system will help, and scribbled notes on the back of your hand hands won’t cut it. 

 

It’s doesn’t matter how long or short your list is, just note down what needs to be done and see how lighter your brain feels. 

 

Making a list enables us to get our heads around big tasks, and they help us tackle the jobs one aspect at a time. Lists are useful as they solve a problem, lead to action, so they can help us to stop putting stuff off! 

 

Lists have been tried and tested for many years, whenever you delve into cultural history, you’ll find examples of lists. 

 

Culture wants to make infinity comprehensible. How do we attempt to grasp the incomprehensible? Through lists! 

 

A great tip is to write a list at the end of the day. Close your day with a list of what you need to get done tomorrow. There’s nothing worse than thinking “I must remember to do X” Knowing that everything is written down, saved on a smartphone or laptop, helps your brain rest and aids sleep knowing that you have it all in a trusty list.