Lost Without Lists: Inside the Life of a Compulsive List Maker

My obsession with list-making started brewing when I was 7 years old. When I was younger, I had two main lists – a list of homework and a list of gifts I wanted for Christmas. Who would have thought that my compulsive list-making would eventually lead me to this glorious lifestyle of putting pen to paper.

I started writing lists at a young age

I was fortunate enough to be exposed to list-making at an early age. When I was younger, I attended private school. Part of our school’s strange ecosystem was to maintain a “school diary”. I believe the sole purpose of this diary was to act as a liaison between teachers and parents. The students were required to list things down and then hand it over to their parents to sign. Like I said, it was strange and it was something that I didn’t particularly enjoy – especially since it was mandated.

All those years of “forced journaling” turned out to be useful after all. When I was finally in college, I was freed of this practice but it was only then that I reaped the benefits of this habit that we were urged to practice.

I’ll state the obvious here – I love lists. List-making has shaped my life in more ways than one and here is a list to prove that, based on experience.

List-making helps me prioritize tasks

Let’s start with the most common type of list out there – the to-do list. Listing down tasks is an effective way to manage our tasks because it gives us a clear picture of what we need to do. Whether it’s written down on a piece of paper or saved in an app, we can easily prioritize tasks based on importance and deadline.

So far, the most sensible system for me was the Bullet Journal. The bullet journal is basically a system that uses bullet points to take down notes and write down tasks.

If you’re not into analog systems, you can always opt for apps such as Wunderlist, Any.do, or Todoist. Use any of these tools so that you will be able to get things done.

Lists have always kept me organized

I see myself as an organized person, for the most part. I always keep my things neat and organized as much as I can, but underneath all that Marie Kondo exterior, my mind is in complete and utter chaos.

My brain seems to work faster than my body. I am unable to communicate as well as I hope because there are way too many thoughts running though my mind.

Take writing an essay or an article for example. I have learned that the best way to brainstorm content is to create an outline of ideas. An outline kind of serves like a map of your essay and organizes the flow of your ideas. I used to dislike writing listing down my main points because I felt that I could just write freehand and edit as I go along. The problem with this approach is that without structure, it’s easy to go off on a tangent.

• Read: Writing Blog Drafts on Paper

I have used lists to translate my thoughts into actual words in oder for me to understand how I can rearrange and connect my thoughts.

Lists have helped me focus on my goals

I never understood the point of writing down all of my goals but recently, I have learned that those who write their goals are more likely to achieve them.

I have only started writing down my personal goals in 2015 but I have been goal-setting ever since I started working professionally. Writing down professional goals was easy for me because my main goal was to get to a managerial position as quickly as I can. Unfortunately, I never had the same drive in my personal life. The thing is, I have always had big dreams for myself but I never prioritized them enough to give it a shot.

When I started writing it all down in 2015, I was more determined to achieve them. I am proud to say that I have been able to achieve most of my goals since then and have been continuing this practice in my bullet journal.

It can be a powerful decision-making tool

Lists aren’t all about our tasks; they are also an effective way to weigh our options.

Whenever I’m at a crossroad, I always make sure that I make an informed decision. The easiest way to do this is by making a pros and cons list.

I feel that it’s effective because of how we are able to visualize the benefits and drawbacks. Sometimes, we can easily make a decision once we see the difference between quantity – if there are more pros than cons and vice-versa.

Making a list plays a huge role in my job – maybe it does with you too

I work as a Digital Product Manager; what we typically do is to lead the strategy, development, and design of a product. As a Product Manager, I have spent most of my time listing down requirements and new features. I have used different tools – from complex digital ones to a whiteboard with post-its.

Just like goal-setting, maintaining a list helps us keep on track with the project’s goals and our progress.

Some lists aren’t written down at all

I’ve been talking about writing things down so what am I talking about here?

Mental lists.

When you’re used to making lists, you will start thinking in lists or bullet points. It becomes part of you.

You know how when we do last minute checks on our things before we leave the house? I find that I do this the most when I travel. Passport? Check. Wallet? Check. Keys? Check. Phone? Check.

Lists are great…but…

As much as I love lists, I know that too much of a good thing is bad. Lists are good but sometimes, they can be complete nonsense. Despite how lists are capable of organizing our lives, we must remember that we still have to be mindful of what we track or what we list down.

Don’t waste your time listing down things that you don’t need or things that won’t be beneficial for your overall well-being. A kill list is a list but it’s not a healthy list to keep.

Make sure that you’re writing down things that promote positivity in your life, of course. Goals, priorities, gratitude. Those are perfect examples of healthy lists. Also, don’t be a slave to your lists. There will be days when you won’t be able to write things down so don’t let that cripple you from living your life too. Make lists work for you and not the other way around.

I can’t imagine life without lists. I always feel grounded and secure whenever I use them. Maybe I’m too dependent (“obsessed” might be the right term) but this habit of list-making has helped me navigate through the chaos and disorder in my life.