Ever thought of using a list to keep you on task, organized, and to make you feel better? A lot of people really don’t.

I was first introduced to this idea my sophomore year of college. My best friend Mossy used to write down what projects he had due for the week on computer paper, duct tape it to the wall, and cross it off when he was done. I kid you not, he used duct tape!

Sophomore year I was very skeptical about how beneficial keeping a list would be, but by my senior year it was a part of my daily regiment. Balancing school, golf, and a social life would have been absolutely impossible without the help of my lists.

What’s so great about a list?

The three best things about having a list are that it keeps you organize, it helps you stay on task, and it can make you feel better.

When you’ve got a million things going on it’s easy to forget a few of the little things that you need to get done. By keeping a list of all of your tasks, the little things are no longer forgotten.

Having a list is fantastic for keeping you on task. If you are anything like I am, my mind often wanders when I have a big list of things to do and I need something to keep me on task. Having that list around helps me stay focused. After I complete one task, I mark it off, check for the next task and then focus on that. They say that time is money, and if you can save those minutes by staying on task, it will make all of the difference.

The last reason why I like lists is because they make you feel better. No the list will not bring you soup when you are sick or buy you a present when you’ve had a bad day… BUT what it does do is give you a sense of accomplishment that you can see. That is such a great, positive feeling! It’s nice to know that you’ve got something accomplished when you cross off one thing. It’s even better to know that you’ve finished everything when you cross that last thing off your list.

Every now and again, I’ll feel like I’ve had a long day at the office and have gotten absolutely NOTHING accomplished. You know the feeling, we’ve all been there. What I find is that at the end of the day, when I’ve crossed off stuff on my list, that I’ve actually gotten a lot more accomplished than I thought. It makes me feel a lot better.

Try making a list…

So make a list, it doesn’t hurt to try… And lists are different depending on the person. It may take some time for you to find your niche. But, when you do it will be such a helpful tool for optimizing your home, work, school, or social life.

– from the Writer’s Corner Office