Pro or Con – Making Lists

When I create a long list of things “to do” all of the items, tasks or things rarely gets completed.  So a short list of 4 or 5 items usually work for me.

There are many reasons we make lists.  Studies suggests that for some creating lists provide some level of satisfaction.  These days there can be so many activities to do and so much information to remember we can become overstimulated.  Lists can be a few lines and some may create their list in paragraph form. 

Others suggest we make list to put on paper or key into our electronic devices to remember what we may normally forget.  Once we put items on a list we do not have to mentally remember and worry that we will forget something important. 

Making list can help us to organize and not feel overwhelmed.  Creating a list can assist in focusing our minds and can relieve some stress for many.  We may create lists to understand really big and important tasks we must do.  Others may feel that having a list of important things to do can assist in bringing some type of order to feelings of chaos. 

One type of list that can be functional is a pro and con list.  When making a decision this type of list can be productive.  Writing the positive things about an item or option on one side and the negative points on the opposite side, the goal is to choose the preferred option. 

Some make lists to control something where many things in life may appear out of our control.  Making and following a list can be what some need to get through the day with some feeling of accomplishment.

Even as we make lists we can remember the major purpose of putting tasks on a list – to provide the action required to complete the items on the lists.