"Lists, Lists, Lists"

Do you make lists? Without hearing you answer, I can almost be sure that you're nodding your
head. Everybody makes some kind of list.....at least I think they do. Shopping lists, for sure. If
I go to the grocery store without a shopping list, I will walk the entire store three times and still not
get everything I need. However, with my trusty list in hand, I can make fairly short work of the
project (assuming I don't run into people I know in the aisles with whom I will spend time talking). And just having the list is not enough. I have to cross off the items as I put them in the cart. If I think
of something while I'm shopping that I forgot to put on the list - I'll actually add it to the list, right then and there, so that I can scratch it off. Yep. And if while out shopping, I need to make a few stops,
I'll categorize the list so that I know what will be purchased at the grocery store, what will come
from the pharmacy, then the post office, on and on.

I'm already making progress on my Christmas shopping list. Remember, I told you I love to
Christmas shop! I carry a small book, complete with names and ideas of what I hope to find for
each individual. Checkmarks indicate success, so I know I'm through shopping for that person. It works for me! And hanging on my fridge right now is the list of youngsters near and dear to
my heart for whom I need to make special treat bags for Halloween. Can't forget that.

I was looking through my desk today and found a notebook from last year's Christmas home
party - complete with lists of what I'd served and who I had invited. Well, I certainly saved that
for a reason. I'll keep it a while longer. It will help me with this year's planning. You're
with me here, right? And I don't know about you, but I still have a hard copy Christmas card
list. How can anyone not be most productive with hard copy lists - something to hold? I just don't
understand people who have things like this on the computer or ON THEIR PHONE!!!

I remember when my son was little and then a teenager and even when he was in college, his
lists of wishes for his birthday or Christmas were works of art. He certainly surpasses my "list
abilities". He would write the desired items and alongside the list, he would draw - with various
colored pencils - pictures of the items.....really extravagant pictures! Or sometimes he would cut
out a picture from a catalog to coordinate with the written list. I have kept a few of those lists. I still marvel at them. He's much more creative than I am - in many ways!!

Certainly I make mental lists just about every day - to include what I need to get done, where I
need to go, etc. And those mental lists are also valuable, but not as effective, at least for me.
I'm much more productive if I actually write it all down.

So, I've established that I'm a list maker. And I've speculated that I think you probably are too -
at least to some extent. Now, let's talk just a minute about the next step. If I have a "to do" list
of chores, I absolutely have to scratch off each chore as it's done. And again, if I dig into some-
thing I didn't actually have on my "to do" list, I'll add it too - just so that I can scratch it off.
I did this every day during my years in the work force and I do it at home. At work it was the
best way to make sure I had achieved my goals for the day and met whatever deadlines were
sitting there staring at me. It helped me face the next day with a little less dread, knowing exactly
what was done and what awaited me in the a.m.

Now that I'm retired, I find the same rule pretty much applies. Don't get me wrong, I can
waste time with the best of them. I can manage to while away a day when I really want to. But
when things need doing, there will be a list. And I will scratch off the duties, one by one, till
I'm done. Hopefully. I think it's because I need to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes
from looking at that list and seeing it all completed. I did have on my list for today - WRITE
TODAY'S BLOG. As you can see, it's taken me all day to get to it. But here I am. I'm writing.
I'm about to close it out and publish it. And then I'll check it off my list. Feels good. And I've
caused you to waste at least five minutes reading about my lists.

Have a great tomorrow and as always, thanks for reading.