Totally agree with this. I keep a to-do list each week (start a new one usually the friday before) so that I can clearly see what needs to be done that week. I sometimes adjust throughout the week, depending on the work load. A couple years ago, my boss bought me a Palm, and I haven’t touched it. The stupid little notebook I keep my lists in is WAY more effective for me. There really IS something about the act of writing it out…it helps me remember.

I feel a genuine sense of accomplishment every time I can put a line through an item on my to-do list. I am not a visual learner, but there is something about seeing my list get smaller and smaller that makes me feel like I am on track for the day. I am in banking and the program we use to open new accounts has a task list that i just can’t get behind. I have to write things out myself and cross them off as I go.

Haha, I was just going to say “you forgot to add how gratifying crossing things of your list really is.” Alexa beat me to it. I also feel like seeing something I have bolded (by writing over the same thing multiple times) is a lot more influential then seeing something bolded on a palm or computer screen.

You might notice that bioblogs are subtle and often powerfully visual lists of character traits at work. They replace the hackneyed list of action verbs. When I complete a project I buy myself a nice new pen to start of new list for the next project. Ink on paper is the next best thing to wheels on a highway. No doubt writing imprints the conscious mind to store the info at the top, and since we spend most of our time forgetting (the rush of daily images not needing to be remembered), telling ourselves to do things in steps makes perfect sense.

I rely on electronic lists, but my partner is a list-writer, and I’ve picked up the habit (a little) from him. It really does help. It doesn’t replace the electronic lists for me, though, because I tend to put things I need to remember to do six months from now on them - and it organizes that stuff.

Another good habit I picked up from him is the Notebook. The Notebook is dedicated to notes from meetings and calls, brainstorming ideas, that sort of thing. I carry it around & it’s useful both as a focusing tool and a record of all those meetings, conversations, etc.

I agree that writing things down is a very good practice, but I don’t think you necessarily need to do this with pen and paper to get the benefits.

Just getting things out of my head and in writing is more than enough for me. I rewrite my goals every day on the computer, and it’s worked really well for me.

I love electronic lists because they are so easy to organize, prioritize, and update as things change. If I had to do this by hand, I would either have a very messy list :) or I would end up leaving stuff off the list, which is counterproductive when you are trying to get things out of your head.

If rewriting things by hand is therapeutic for you, then that alone is reason enough to do it, but it doesn’t mean you have to abandon the benefits of your electronic lists.

Why not do both?

I know some writers that like to develop most of their material on paper, but they still type it up on their PC when they are ready to start editing it :)

After working with online lists, PDA lists, and computer lists, I realized just what you’re describing and went back to a written calendar and list. It just works better for me, probably because the act of writing it imprints it somewhere the computer strokes don’t.

As well, if I am anxious about anything at night and it’s creating insomnia, I get up and make a list of things that are bothering me, and I can sleep knowing I won’t forget them the next day.

Long live pen and ink!

There’s nothing quite like crossing something off a list. However, making lists isn’t good advice for everyone. There are a lot of people out there who write lists as a form of procrastination.

Wow, that brought back a memory! 20 year ago I the owner of the company I worked for insisted all his managers carry around a little spiral-topped notebook in their shirt pocket. Each to-do was written down, and when completed, marked through with a single line. When more than 3 pages had items, the list was rewritten on clean pages and the older pages were marked through. Phone numbers were written inside the cover.

We used to hang on to these because they were a permanent archive of what we did and when. Also, keeping the list no longer than 3 pages forced us to prioritize. Oh, and gotta love the technology! No batteries, cables, or butetooth!

I am going to go back and try it again. Thanks!

I agree 100%. I love lists. Always have. One negative I will say is people sometimes look at me funny because they think it is too “low tech”. They will say things like, “Hmm, I’m surprised you don’t have a Palm.” But don’t worry, I won’t succumb to “palm pressure”.

Another note on electronic lists: PRINT THEM OUT. You never know when your technology will fail you in ways that a piece of paper rarely does.

Ha! I love pens that “ooze” ink. You’re right on about the feeling about pen on paper.

Which reminds me, I need to write down my expenses for the week. :)

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Writing lists is helpful but every time I decided to do it even in really important planning situations I didn’t do it, I am used to mediations and feeling things so when I have to review some project whether small or a life changing one I just let myself concentrate and come out with the step that I have to take now.

The only times that lists actually work for me is in checking that I have done all I decided or had to do.

Like going with a list after every thing is packed to see if I got it all. Or making a list of where I was heading to see that I really got there.

I’m in a process of moving to a very different house in the north and I can really see that when I stuck and can’t figure out what to pack with what and in what schedule I let it sink and then know what is the right thing to do now.