Have you ever had trouble falling asleep because your brain is on overdrive? It’s hard to turn off the switch when so many things need our attention. Human beings cannot think two thoughts at the exact same time. We can move between thoughts incredibly quickly, and we can act upon multiple thoughts at the same time (like compound exercises), but our brains are literally unable to take two inputs and process them at once. It’s this natural proclivity to become overwhelmed that results in the effectiveness of making lists.

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Lists are everywhere but not every list is effective.

One ancient list that has lasted through the ages is the to-do list. Or, often translated to, the honey-do list.

Whenever we talk about lists, we have got to tackle the elephant in the room. There are two kinds of people. List makers and list hater.

If you aren’t into making lists, you may be soon. I hope you are soon. I hope you make a list the moment you finish reading this.

Why?

Because making lists is a productivity tool. The brain loves ordered tasks. We don’t just appease the brain when we leverage list making, we supercharge it. With a million thoughts scrambling around in our mind begging for attention, making a list brings order to the chaos.

It’s hard to focus in chaos. Ever been in a traffic accident?

On my last day of High School while driving to graduation practice, I rear ended a vehicle. My airbag deployed and smoke filled the cabin. It took me a minute to recognize what just happened. It all happened so fast. Why is my hand hurting? Where did my cell phone go? I hope everyone is OK. Where am I? Why didn’t I see the vehicle ahead of me and put on my breaks sooner?

The chaos and confusion we get from a traffic accident is similar to how disoriented we can become when our brain is processing too many different thoughts. We see bits and pieces before seeing something else entirely.

List making is different.

Lists bring order to chaos. Great lists also bring priority.

Now if our brains love order, they thrive on priority. Every Monday morning, I create my weekly to-do list. It doesn’t matter if I’m re-writing something that carried over from last week. I start fresh and start clean. At the top of the page, I write the most important task or project with specific sub-tasks to accomplish under it. I proceed writing tasks and sub-tasks until I believe the week’s work has been captures and that achieving those in higher priority would lead to a very accomplished week.

Some folks rely on coffee to be productive. Some folks rely on chance. It’s best to rely on clarity. Without clarity of task and priority, all we have is endless possibility We can do this or that or this way or that way or maybe something else all together. Total. Utter chaos. And nothing gets done.

The clearer the task and the priority of the task, the more likely it is we will be able to cross it off the list. And that bring me to another point.

You must cross things off your list.

There is a deep satisfaction in accomplishing things that will carry you a great distance. What I have found is that people who tend not to cross things off their list usually aren’t making clear lists. The task is too big or ambiguous.

Compare these to-do lists and consider which seems more likely to be successful:

The Ambiguous List:

1. Be a good parent.
2. Get out of debt.
3. Impress the boss.
4. Make spouse feel special.
5. Do something for myself.

A Clear List:

1. Prepare lunches for the kids.
2. Check kids backpacks for homework and show-and-tell item
3. Pack my own lunch.
4. Don’t check *insert favorite shopping website here*.
5. Submit the work presentation to the boss before Noon.
6. During lunch, write spouse a thank you card and bring it home after work.
7. Download a new audio book and begin listening to it on my way home.
8. After dinner and before bed, ask spouse for 10 minutes of reflection time. No more. No less.

Let’s be real. You know which list would bring order to your chaos. You know which list would help you cross things off the list that day. You know which list you want. So I need to share a nasty little secret with you.

Nobody.

And I mean nobody…is going to make your lists for you.

The honey-do list is a bygone era of low self-worth. Just doing what someone else wants you to do, even if it’s geared towards helping you, is outdated and irrelevant. No one else can invigorate you to take responsibility for cleaning up your own mess. Someone else can’t go into your mind and clean it up to bring order and peace.

But you can. And that is great, great news. If you want to be more successful, more content, and more at peace, take 3-4 minutes to make a list. The clearer it is, the more likely you are to accomplish them. The more you accomplish, the better you’ll feel, the more lists you’ll want to make, and the more change you can effect on the world. No matter how hard that most important task is on your list, do it. Or as ultra-successful business and productivity guru Brian Tracy says, Eat that Frog!

If this post resonated with you with encouragement to keep making lists or challenged you to start, I’d be honored to hear your thoughts in the comments. If you’re not subscribed to my site via email yet, what are you waiting for? Find the subscription box, enter your email, and be the first to know when I share new content. Also, there are many people who need to know how beneficial list making is but my reach only goes so far. Use the social media buttons below and share this message with your friends.

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