List making is not only my best organizational tool but it is also oddly the activity that calms my stress. It is as if once I’ve written it down, in some order and with clear intent, I’ve taken the most important step towards completion and “checking it off”. I literally use a program that lets me check something off the list because of that feeling of accomplishment that comes with the effort.

I make lists for everything – weekly work lists, shopping lists, lists of questions I want to know the answers to, lists of movies I want to watch, books I want to reach and restaurants to visit. I even keep my shopping lists from holidays past to know exactly how much chicken soup I really need for 16 people.

How do you feel about lists? Do you find them as helpful as I do?