Do you ever get to the end of your day feeling like you accomplished very little, if anything at all? You start like 15 different projects, and leave them all half finished because other things keep coming up. You feel like you’re running in circles, and you can’t help but get distracted. I hate days like that more than I hate watching professional wrestling. Grown men should never be allowed to prance around in spandex in front of thousands of screaming people with the claim that their choreographed routine is, in all reality, a brutish brawl. Wow… that came out of nowhere. Talk about getting distracted! Lets see, where was I? Oh, yes… I hate the nasty feeling that comes with a day without accomplishment.

One thing that really helps me keep from having that feeling of frustration is the making of a list. Here is a list of the TOP ten reasons that help explain why lists will help simplify and organize your life.

10. Lists help save you time. Taking 10 minutes to make a list before doing something, whether it be planning a party or going grocery shopping, can save you HOURS of time running around aimlessly trying to remember everything.

9. Lists provide a sense of accomplishment. Even being able to cross ONE thing off your list can help you sleep better at night. If you put ‘make a list’ at the top of your ‘to do’ list, you’ll be able to cross it off immediately upon completion!

8. Lists are reusable. Make a list of important things you need to accomplish this week. Next week, look at the same list… it’s very likely that 90% of the list is still pertinent. Now you only need to spend a fraction of the time it took last week to plan this week.

7. Lists help you decide what’s important. Whether it’s a list of priorities or a list of Pros and Cons, lists can help you decide what is really truly important, and therefore, worthy of your time.

6. Lists are easier to remember.

5. Lists get read. You’re reading this one, aren’t you?

4. Lists save you money. Time* is money… and if you want to go into more detail, a good list will keep you from buying things you don’t need, and going places you don’t need to go.

3. Lists are good because the alternative is less good. Would you really rather walk around with a jumbled mess of “things you need to do” in your head?

2. Lists make you productive. Stay busy doing the things that need to be done. A list keeps you from getting distracted or disoriented by phone calls, small messes or shiny objects.

1. List making can become a productive habit that can benefit your life for years to come. That habit can help rid your days of unnecessary stress, save you time and money and infuse you with the passion to pursue the things in life that you truly love.

Don’t take list making for granted! If you’re in a rut, and you don’t know what to do with your day… or your life, make a list! Determine which 10 things need to get done first, or which things you’ve always wanted to do but never got around to. Make a list of reasons that a certain thing (going to the gym or cleaning out your closet) can benefit your life, and then revel in the new desire you have to accomplish things never before attempted. Do not underestimate the power of the list!

Please leave a comment and let us know about the different ways you use lists and how they benefit your life.