Getting Sh*t Done With LISTS

I was recently asked by a new client what some of my strengths and weaknesses are.  This is a pretty standard question when you’re embarking on new work but for some reason it always leaves me spouting a string of “ummmm” and “well…” and “I’m a people person?”  Yeesh. 

Obviously it got me thinking…what are my high and low points?  I should be prepared when asked this question.  So I did what anyone would do: I made a list.

I love lists.  I make such good ones.  I make lists for everything and they make me feel strong and inspired and organized as hell.  Lists fall in the “strength” category.

Know what I’m NOT good at?  DOING THE THINGS ON THE LIST.  To all of you fellow list-makers out there who write things down “because it feels so good to cross them off,” I freaking salute you.  You are my golden role models.  What good is a masterfully constructed list if once it’s created it dissolves into dust because SOMEONE is too busy binge-watching Netflix to do anything with it?  Doing the things falls in the “weakness” category. 

So, in the spirit of resolutions and goals and all the YES I CANs floating around out there (which I made a list of on New Years Eve…duh) I am determined that this will be a chapter of finishing what I start.  I will cross the things off the lists and I will finally know what all those efficiency-blessed humans feel when they heavily drag their fancy pens* across that final item, beaming down at their once pristine scroll of things to accomplish.  And I’m going to do it with my list of aspirations that I wrote on New Years Eve (which I choose to keep private because in its whole it is intimate and precious to me, but I will certainly share pieces of through the year), and by finishing the things on that list I’m also accomplishing a million little sub-lists in the process.  See what I did there?  Go big or go home, people.

First thing to off my list?  Finishing that damn vision board I had such sparkly intentions for on December 31^st.  Below is the final product.  It’s a little messy and chaotic but so am I.  It’s full of images and words that feed me and every single cutout means something important to me and my future.  I love it. 

And crossing it off my list felt fantastic.

* List makers always have fancy pens, in case you didn’t know.  It’s part of the whole joyful list making experience.

And now, because it seems like the appropriate thing to do, a list of my favorite things to make lists for:

• ·      Groceries (and neglecting to reference it when shopping)
• ·      Things to pack for a trip (because it means an adventure is near)
• ·      Adorable things I probably need to buy for Wizard (so many toys)
• ·      Adorable things I probably need to buy for myself (so many clothes)
• ·      Things I need to work on (frugality)
• ·      Things that make me happy (so many clothes)
• ·      Things I am grateful for (and remembering how important it is to list them from time to time)
• ·      To-do for the week (sub-lists: meal plan, workout plan, work schedule, social engagements)
• ·      Places I want to explore (and make packing lists for)
• ·      Restaurants I want to experience (sub-lists: with James, with girlfriends…they are often different)
• ·      Things I want to make (sub-lists: food, crafts, cocktails)

You’d think I’d be super organized, wouldn’t you?  I’m not.  But I’m working on it.  

And I always have fancy pens.