Making Lists

I am a list maker and come from a family of list makers. My father always carried a pad of white and blue grid marked paper from the Dupont Company, where he worked. He used it not only to make lists but also to draw pictures and help us with our math homework. There is something about making a list that is comforting and powerful. The line item is neutral, just words on a line. You can manipulate a list to sandwich the noxious task between two more pleasant tasks, giving yourself a treat for finishing the one you don't want to do. Crossing off the items as they are completed is rewarding in it's own right, like getting the right answers on a test. Lists are like scrapbooks, mile markers, roadsigns, book indexes. Making a list gives focus and orders the day, and at the end of it you can find your strength. My daughters are list makers too. They have Grocery shopping and Clean the house on the same list as Finish Master's Degree and Have another baby. The power of a list. Goals are written and followed through on, room is made for the next step. Over time we find ourselves doing the great and the hard things that are set before us, confident that eventually we will finish every one.