The Importance Of Making Lists

My mother is a huge list maker. Over the years, I have found countless used Post-It notes stuck on all manner of surfaces containing lists of grocery items, gift ideas, recipe ingredients, “things to do”, “things to research”, “people to call”, “stuff to bring”, “things to pack”, daily goals, weekly goals, yearly goals, lifetime goals, work goals, financial goals, retirement goals, and so on and so forth ad infinitum. Whenever I talk to my mom, which includes dinner at her house every other week, we typically talk about the things in that moment which are causing us the most stress. I’ll talk about how overworked I am, and how I have so much to do that I don’t even know where to start. My mother will inquire about the specifics, and then calmly tell me to start by making a list of every single task that needs to be done in descending order of importance. It’s funny how writing something down, at times, can instantly remove the feelings of anxiety associated with it. Needless to say, over the years I’ve become somewhat of a list maker myself.

A recent Wake Forest University study showed that when subjects wrote down their plans to complete tasks, the associated anxiety that accompanied said task(s) was reduced, even if the task(s) remained incomplete. Writing lists every day helps to inspire clarity, reduce stress, prioritize actions, avoid overlooking important tasks, and has us feeling more organized in general. The more organized we feel, the less we permit fear and uncertainty to enter our lives and keep us from achieving important goals we have set for ourselves.

Whenever one of my clients comes to me with a goal of improving healthy habits and establishing a strong and productive routine, the first thing I discuss with them is the importance of making daily lists of actionable steps that align with the tasks or goals they have set for themselves. Their goal of being healthy, while vague, can be broken down into actionable and detailed steps: 1) Run for at least 30 minutes (about 3.5 miles) 4x/week 2) Limit carbohydrate intake to 30 grams of simple and complex carbs(or less) per day. 3) Drink 10 cups of water daily. (no soda at all). 4) Call Life Coach daily to discuss progress. 5) Stay in regular communication with Life Coach throughout day for motivation and support. 6) Cook/Prepare all meals (no fast food or takeout). 7) Eat 6 servings of fruits and vegetables. 8) No alcohol. 9) Write food journal after every meal. 10) Weigh myself every morning. 11) Take vitamins and supplements every morning.

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is to take fifteen minutes to write my list of actionable steps that align with my short-term and long-term goals, both personal and professional. Daily exercise is typically always on my morning list, along with the details of the healthy diet I am choosing to adhere to for the day. I’m all about routine. Having a healthy, predictable routine is conducive to confidence and productivity. Research shows that competing tasks in the same order every day repeatedly builds brain power and supports mental health. Established routines offer predictability, and when expectations for the day are clear and predictable, we feel confident and successful. When routines reduce the number of choices we need to make, we are able to devote more mental energy to priority decisions.

The fact of the matter is, most Americans go about their day on autopilot. The neuropathways they have forged over time have become so well-traveled that to deviate from such normative thinking/action would take a level of conscious and deliberate action that very few ever take the time to mindfully internalize and incorporate into what has become a predictable and monotonous existence.

So, snap out of that monotony. What about your life needs changing? Where would you like to be a year from now? Five years? What needs to change in order to get there? Your goals may seem insurmountable, but even the grandest of ambitions can be broken down into a thousand small steps that are far easier to fathom, and wholly within your capability to accomplish. Maybe you want to lose 30 pounds. Maybe you want to change careers. Maybe you want to write a book. Maybe you want to find the love of your life. Maybe you want to start your own nonprofit, or your own business.

The only thing stopping you from achieving your goals are the seeds of limiting beliefs that begin to plague our self-worth as early as kindergarten. The first step in cultivating the mindset that will enable our success is BELIEVING WE CAN DO IT. If we have any doubts or reservations about our goals, we will have failed before even beginning. It starts with belief.

Believe in yourself, and then go about building a routine of healthy habits that will reinforce and strengthen your belief. Wake up early. Exercise. Cut out TV. Limit your cell phone use to 1 hour a day. Find a mentor. Dedicate an hour a day towards pursuing each of your goals.

Retraining your brain starts with forging new neuropathways through changing the way we think about ourselves, and changing the feelings and actions that have come to define our beliefs. Some people hire a life coach to help them jumpstart their journey to a happier, healthier, more successful individual.

But it all starts with making lists. Make at least a list every day. Things to accomplish. Top 5 Goals for this next year. Steps to starting my own business. Affirmations. Where do I want to be one year from now? 5 years? If we are simply existing without a plan or a direction, then what is the point of living at all?