Listing With A List

Jul 10, 2009 by winjaw

Productivity tips and how-tos, once a cottage industry, are now a full-blown conglomeration of books, three-day seminars, blogs, web sites, speaking engagements and what not.

And the number of programs and ideas on “how to” get your life/money/stuff/work/whatever in order is, ironically, quite a list unto itself.

You’ve got everything from Getting Things Done to Git R Dun to the I Hate Lists List Book to 30 Days To Fewer Lists to Free Yourself From Lists to List-Free.

I keep it simple.

I take a piece of paper. I write down my “to-dos.”  Then I go “do” said list.  Complicated, I know.

I carry a small version of the popular Moleskine notebook with me at all times. I use either the Cahier or Volant for this purpose, as they’re perfect for a back pocket and flexible. I’ve always enjoyed Moleskines and have just about every size and version since they came back out. And since everyone and their cousin now uses them, I’m probably going to have to find something else. Which does not make me happy, but I can’t stand being “hip”.

Anyway, some people go to the store with said list with the express intent of getting the things on the list and going home. That would be me. Others go to the store with said list and use it as a “guide,” a “starting point,” or a “palette” upon which to create.  That would be the Little Black Dress.

Case in point. Yesterday the LBD went to the store to get 1. mushrooms, 2. bread. Dare I say said list “mushroomed” upon her return?

Those two items somehow ended up costing $242.19  and involved about 30 minutes of unpacking. Apparently, there were a “couple” of other things she forgot to put on that list.

People are simply wired differently.

I imagine the LBD headed right for the mushrooms when she spied the tomatoes. And the red color reminded her she needed some red paint, which lead to also getting a paint brush. And as she got the bread the wrapper reminded her to pick up some trash bags, and the green color reminded her she needed lettuce. And you can’t have a salad without onions, and don’t we need some new placemats to put said salad on?

And the placemats reminded her we needed more plastic cups and we need milk and apple juice for said plastic cups and so on and so on.

But she did remember the mushrooms through all that. And we sauteed them in a little red wine, butter and garlic.

And they were really, really good.