Lists

I have for a long time ruled my life with lists, or more specifically, "The List". Each and every day, I make a list of the things that I need to do. The items may be things I need to do that day, or they may be items that I just don't want to forget to do at some point. And, once I have made my list for the day, I attempt to accomplish and cross-off as many items on the list as possible.

Now, here is the thing: I never, ever, ever come close to finishing my list for the day. Nor, do I expect to finish the list. Ever. To finish the List would require Time to slow down and the very fabric of Reality to bend in on itself. To finish the list in a day, my productivity during that day would have to be such that it would inspire folktales to be written about it. Future generations of children would sing songs about my John Henry vs. the Machine-type performance if ever I were to complete the list. It's just never going to happen, and I'm cool with that. It's just the way the list works.

That being said, I do expect the list to help me get some things done. The list should help me make my day more productive than it would be otherwise. That is it's role, and that's what I expect.

Now, the list has failed me in the past. It has not always been that reliable. And, lately, the list has been failing me in a big way. The list has actually been causing me to be less productive than I would have been with no list at all.

You see, my list had become so long, with all of the tasks that I needed do, as to cause my brain to shutdown and malfunction. I believe the reason this has happened is the fact that my brain knew that the list had become too long to accomplish in a single day. Clearly, this is counter-intuitive, since I know that the list cannot be completed in a single day. As I stated earlier, this is just how the list works. However, my brain must believe there is a chance, however remote, that I can complete the list in a day in order to remain motivated. When the list becomes too long, all motivation is sapped and I become a depressed schlub, who doesn't want to do anything.

However, thanks to Kendra, I have discovered a new method of dealing with the list when it becomes too long. The solution is: the Micro-list, or a daily list in addition to my main list. Basically, I keep my old list, or the Macro-list, the same as it has always been - a placeholder for all the things I need to do. At the same time, however, I create a Micro-list, of all things I want to accomplish today, which is a subset of the Macro-list. Usually, the Micro-list is about 8 items long, made up of some easy items and some hard items.

The goal then becomes to complete all the items on the micro-list each day, no matter what. You never want to set yourself up for failure on the Micro-list by making it too difficult. At the same time, if there are things you must accomplish today, they should be placed on the micro-list. The reason for this should be obvious.

In the process of accomplishing items on the micro-list, you are also completing items on the macro-list, and at the end of the day, you feel like you've at least accomplished something.

Now, I know I am just playing tricks on my brain, and that if I just attacked my main list with fervor every day, I would get a lot accomplished without the need for a second list. However, my brain is unruly, and it has always been unruly. There are times when it will not cooperate, and the only way I can get it to do what I want is by tricking it. When my list gets too long, my brain doesn’t want to cooperate, and I end up wasting a lot of time being unmotivated. This strategy has worked for me, and if it works for you, that’s great. I'm glad I could help.