Do you make lists?

Today's Wall Street Journal had a whole article about how lists are "the defining organizing principle of the 21st century."

Wow, them's some big words.

Let me save you some time and summarize the article: Lists are HOT - everybody's making them! There are books coming out of other people's lists. There are new products coming out to help us make our lists. I think some people are crazy about their list-making habits - they have a big master weekly list, and then pull items from it to make smaller, daily lists. In the time it takes to manage the lists, couldn't they have done something ON the actual list??

There are lots of lists out there. Your grocery list. Your life list, if you have one (if you don't, check out p228 of September Cosmo, you might want to make one).

The Internet has made us more list-y - now there's FAQs, your Netfilx queue, Craig's List. Now there's something called the Very Short List (check it out here), you sign up and it gives you some arts/culture thing to add to your list.

I was happy to see that the site of lost grocery lists (here) is being made into a book. I like seeing what other people shop for, don't you?

My best friends, mother and boyfriend are all list makers. I used to be. I used list-making as a procrastination technique, so I stopped making them. Now I never remember everything at the grocery store but everything else gets done pretty quickly. Worthwhile trade-off to me!

What do you make lists of?

Cheers, Lara

Comments

I make lists all the time, keeping me 'focused'. Sometimes I make a list after I have started projects, just so I get re-energized to keep going!!!

Lists only make sense if you use them. I have made shopping lists, then forgotten to bring the shopping list with me, therefore my time was wasted making the damn list. I must restate my point, only useful if used.