Just do it !

In the beginning -- on day zero perhaps -- God made up a "To Do" list. How else could the world have been created in such elegant and logical style in only six days?

On a recent Saturday morning while agonizing over my own "To Do List," I noticed it was getting way out of hand. Not only was it long, but almost every item began with "Fix this" or "Clean that." I saw not one pleasant task on my list. Nothing like "Sit back and watch the game on TV" or "Open a beer and read the paper."

Yes, the lowly "To Do List" ranks up there among great achievements of civilization, right along the wheel and the TV remote. No less a personage than Ben Franklin, or da Vinci must have invented it.

I’m a firm proponent of To Do Lists. Add a task to your To Do List and it's half done, they say. But to use lists properly you have to understand them and know how to manage them. I have studied lists, and developed some rules and theories which you need to know before you tackle lists. These are Andrew's theorems on "To Do Lists:"

Theorem 1: To Do Lists grow: This is an indisputable fact of nature. They grow in geometric progression, or more bluntly, by leaps and bounds. For every item you cross off as "done," two or three new ones crop up, usually as direct result of the completed item. Recently, when I finished cleaning the basement for example (one item crossed off), I had to add “Fix the bike" and “Re-glaze basement window." These two items jumped to my attention while I was cleaning.

Theorem 2: Lists beget lists: As your list matures you realize the need for specializations. You notice there are a number of "To buy" items, so you create a separate list only for your shopping trips. From the previous example I could create a "Basement List" if I looked hard enough and found more basement chores. I always have a "Yard Work list." In the summer numerous items are constantly coming on and off my "Yard work list." At work you should have a list just for job-related items. If you are a socializing type of person you definitely need a "Contacts List." This is where you note whom to call and whom to snub.

Theorem 3: Some items never get off a list: Once you start using To Do Lists you will no doubt add some tough items. And I guarantee some of these will NEVER get off your list. In checking over my Home Projects list from last summer for example I see several items which are still not done, and probably won't ever get done. There is "Fix lamp" (the lamp has been sitting on my workbench for about three years now). At least two other items on my list can't seem to get done. I have been meaning to fix the leaking laundry room faucet, and fix the jamming basement door for over a year now.

Theorem 4: The recurring phenomenon: As you become adept at To Do Lists, you'll notice some items get back on the list almost as soon as they get done. "Call your mother" is one of these. "Fix the car" is another. Which brings to mind a fine point in the science of To Do Lists. Do this only if you really want to be a Top Gun List person. You create a "Recurring To Do List." Nothing could be simpler. On this list you write all your regular items that come up every week or so. You could refine it and have a "Weekly Recurring List" and a "Monthly Recurring List" for the appropriate cycle items, but that may be going a bit too far.

A more practical aspect to list making is the medium of the list. What to make your list on. I have seen excellent lists on the back of envelopes. But, trust me, this is for amateurs. I don't advise it. Among connoisseurs of lists there is always heated debate on whether to use regular size paper or legal size. A sub-debate rages on whether the legal size should be yellow pad paper or white, or maybe one of the new bright colors available at stationery stores. While I won't concern myself with color, the size of the paper does merit comment. Some people swear by legal size -- you can pack more "to do." The down side is when you are in a supermarket and pull out this huge piece of yellow legal paper by the vegetable display... Well, you get the point. Unless you want to impress the other shoppers, stay with smaller paper.

My personal favorite is good old 3 by 5 index cards. They are easy to use, inconspicuous, and easily expandable if your list gets longer. You can also get them in various colors. When you get serious about the subject you can buy computer software to keep track of your To Do items. There are some excellent list manager programs on the market. Corporate people like to use white boards to write their lists. However it gets a little difficult to carry a four foot board with you everywhere.

This reminds me of the cardinal rule of list-making: Always carry it with you. You never know when you may need it. Recently I was in a hardware store and just knew there was something I needed to get. Without my list I couldn't remember. I was helpless. Later I had to make a special trip to the store for that missed item. Conversely you never know when you may need to add something. Let's say you are sitting in a traffic jam on the freeway and you remember that the bathtub needs unclogging. With the list with you, no problem. Just whip it out and add the new item. And while you are in that traffic jam with nothing to do, see how many more chores you can add to your list to which you can look forward when you get home.

To list or not to list: My wife always scoffs at my To Do Lists. She says memory is good enough for her. Yet in the many years of our marriage there hasn't been one supermarket trip that she came back from and didn't say "Oh, I forgot the milk," ...or the bread, ...or the soap. Of course I am pretty much the opposite. I like to use lists all the time. The other morning I went to the office and realized I had forgotten to shave. Explanation: I ignored my Morning To Do List, that is, my "Recurring Morning To Do List."

If you think keeping a list is a chore, add something pleasant to it. As you make out your list for next Saturday, make sure you include some fun items. Come Saturday morning, as you look at your list which contains fifteen "to fix" items and a bunch of other nasty chores, you will also see your fun items, which if you are lucky, you may get to by midnight.


Copyright © 2001 Andrew Rafalski