Making a List, Checking it Twice

I like making lists- things I need to pack, what I need at the store, and most importantly what I need to accomplish that day. In fact I have a yearly list, a monthly list, a weekly list, and a daily list of things to do. Each Sunday I evaluate my monthly list and write out my weekly list gathering all my loose notes that I have written down to do. Then each night I look at my weekly list and break down to what I have to do the next day. I like to be organized-- says the women who can not find her desk at work or does not believe in making beds (really what is the point when you are going to get back in it in just a few hours, besides I do not like my sheets tucked in).

Anyways, if it does not appear on my lists I forget to do it. That is what happened this week at work. I took on an assignment and I forgot to transfer my sticky note to my list. And guess what happens? I totally forgot. I feel like an idiot. In the back of my mind I felt like I was forgetting something but I kept reviewing my lists so I doubted my uneasiness. Then yesterday at work when I was asked about it, it dawned on me what had been nagging me and now it was too late to do anything about it. I felt like I let the team down, let alone me.

So the list system can fail with human error, but nothing is more rewarding than crossing things off that list. I will admit I will add things to the list at the end of the day I did do just so I can cross it off and feel I accomplished something. It helps me feel better when I am transferring items I keep ignoring from one list to the next.