Until recently, I didn’t know there was a term for a person like me. One who loves to put pen or pencil to paper, then number or bullet items that all belong in a specific category. Listophile, listoholic, or listomaniac…it doesn’t matter what you call me, I’ll answer to any of them. Or you can just refer to me as a list maker. I am and always have been addicted to making lists! To Do lists, shopping lists, even cleaning lists. Most likely this obsession began when I was old enough hold a pencil in my hand. Then my lists were about my favorite things, circa the 1970s.
Good songs on the Radio:
- “Let It Be” – The Beatles
- “I’ll Be There” – The Jackson 5
- “Spirit in the Sky” – Norman Greenbaum
- “Brandy” – Looking Glass
- “Fire and Rain” – James Taylor
- “Band of Gold” – Freda Payne
- “Mama Told Me Not to Come” – Three Dog Night
- “(They Long to Be) Close to You” – The Carpenters
- “Summer Breeze” – Seals & Croft
- “Suzie Q” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Good Food and Snacks:
- Cream of Wheat cereal
- Cracker Barrel Cheese
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Drumsticks
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Wonder Bread
- Creamsicles
- Twinkies
- Chef Boyardee Spaghetti & Meatballs
- Cracker Jacks
- Caramel Apples
Good Things to Do When Stuck in the House
- Play 45s
- String beads
- Paint toenails
- Tape magazine pictures to bedroom door
- Read a library book
- Fingerpaint
- Write a story
- Bug mom to let me make a snack
- Bug mom to let me go to the store
- Bug mom to let me go to a friend’s house
Throughout grammar, junior high, and high school my lists grew and grew. They included names of true friends, board games to play on weekends, funny teachers, stores on North Street, happy movies, clothes I wish I had, things to do in the summer, easy meals to make, tastiest ice cream flavors, poems I wish I wrote, part-time jobs, backyard flowers, neighborhood kids, the best TV shows, weird relatives, and exciting holiday events, to name a few. In my adult life, I’ve kept lists of people, places, and things. Family and friends. Who I know where, when, and how. Cities, states, and countries both lived in and visited. And things, like jobs, hobbies, and interests, that pertain to my lists of people and places.
From my journal: June 3, 2016, Newbury Park, California
“…what a great gift! Anna gave me Food Listography, My Delicious Life in Lists by Lisa Nola…page after page of lines to write food lists on!”
What compels me to write lists? When younger, it was just a fun way to document my life, much the way people today track their lives through pics and videos on their phones and devices. What has kept me interested? All the benefits!
Just the simple act of making a list stimulates my creativity, organizes my thoughts, and generates new ideas particularly as it relates to my blog and other writings, art projects, as well as ways to spend my time.
To Do lists allow me to prioritize my goals, to reduce stress through “seeing” a clear plan and leads to a sense of accomplishment when I check off each item. Yay! Shopping lists are great, too. They assist with weekly meal planning, as well as saving time, and reducing food waste as I know what I need to buy and how much. Cleaning lists are wonderful for keeping me on top of each area in our house resulting in an overall healthier environment. Nothing eases my mind like a fresh and tidy room!
Studies have shown that list writing has a few more perks. People who write lists report feeling more productive. Writing a list also aids in our memory department. When we retrieve a memory, it is in a specific context. Without the correct context, we have trouble recalling things. So, creating a list offers an easy, context-free way to remember. And compiling a list is a form of brainstorming which hones our problem solving and higher order thinking skills and offers a visual of possibilities. All good things!
With so much going for them, I will continue to write my daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly lists. Because not doing so, would leave me, well, listless.
A Journal Journey 