Are you a list-maker? Would you forget to do things if you didn’t write them down? Do you get a special satisfaction from crossing through each completed assignment? I do, and I get frustrated with people who don’t. Sound familiar?
Countless studies show that people who write down the things they need to do perform better. So, why doesn’t everyone — our spouses, our kids, our co-workers, our bosses — use to-do lists?
Well, some people struggle to get started on any task, and they don’t want to be reminded of how much they need to do. After all, someone might see that list and hold them accountable or criticize their work. Other people like to start projects, but they rarely finish even one, and they don’t want to be reminded of this unfinished business. Still others simply prefer to “wing it,” thinking this somehow makes them more efficient — at least in their own mind. The reality is that adhering to a to-do list is the best solution for getting things done.
A 2017 article from The Guardian website explains this as well as I have read anywhere. The writer interviews psychologist and author Dr. David Cohen, who shares how his struggle to stay organized is helped by his to-do lists. He says his tasks must be on paper, and he needs to monitor them constantly. Cohen says we appreciate to-do lists because: 1) they dampen anxiety about the chaos of life; 2) they give us a structure, a plan we can stick to; and 3) they are proof of what we have achieved.
Cohen also stresses the importance of systems and how “scribbled notes on hands won’t cut it.” In addition, he points out that “in less harried days, our memories might have done the work.”
This article also references the “Zeigarnik effect,” which says we remember things we need to do better than things we have already done. This stems from “observing that waiters could only recall diners’ orders before they had been served. After the dishes had been delivered, their memories simply erased who had the steak and who had the soup. The deed was done, and the brain was ready to let go.” Can you relate?
As most of us know, simply writing tasks down doesn’t ensure they will be completed. We also need to be realistic about how long it will take to accomplish these tasks, and we better have a plan of attack. As such, many of us become intimidated and avoid tackling big projects. The article states, “The best way to overcome this is to break them down into much smaller, achievable blocks.”
That sounds like a good plan. I am going to put it on my to-do list.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305