Making A List, Checking It Twice

Now, Christmas may have come and gone, but I still think it's appropriate to take a cue from Santa himself. Make a list and check it twice. Recently, I've learned that this is the approach that works best for me.

So, I make a list for everything. Lately, it's the only way I've been able to get anything done. I have about a million things running through my head and countless tasks that need to be taken care of, so it's no wonder I find myself quickly overwhelmed when I'm ready to start my day.

On my journey to domestic bliss, I've been working on how to make a good, productive list instead of wasting hours making lists that I never even glance at again. I've always had a strange penchant for office supplies, weird I know, but that means that over the years I have collected a lot of different items for list-making. From post-it notes and plain white paper, to Kate Spade day planners and Apple devices, I've tried just about every mode of list-making there is.

For me, a piece of paper that says "To-Do" at the top isn't ideal. Sure it works, but it's a starting point really. It's a place where I can collect my thoughts, but it doesn't help me prioritize and it doesn't motivate me. Yes, I have to motivate myself; I have to tell myself exactly what to do and when to do it. Otherwise, I write down an incomplete list of some things that I need to do and then leave the list strewn somewhere, only to be recycled later. Usually at that point, nothing from the list is actually accomplished, but I've created an updated one somewhere else.

While I love that my iPhone, iPad, and iPod all sync together so that I have all my events and reminders are in several places, typing out specifics feels like it takes too long and it's harder to edit than just being able to quickly hand-write and scribble on. I feel somewhat limited in what I can list because of the formatting and if I have many things going on at once, they tend to get muddled together. That was the problem I was trying to solve in the first place!

I've checked out an array of websites with ideas, some that have really worked for me, and others that have failed me miserably. I'm still trying to figure out what works best for me, what ultimately will make me more productive. As I continue my journey, I will be sharing some more of these ideas and reviewing what works and what doesn't. Check back soon if you're into list-making, too. Or leave a comment below with you're favorite list-making tips!

And in the meantime, if you love visually appealing lists and organization tools, check out this adorable website I found, complete with free pre-made lists to print! Hello, Cuteness!