to think I'm not the only person who cannot function without lists?

[CherryAide]

I have severe anxiety and OCD tendencies so like my life to be as organised as possible. I can't get through the day unless I have written a list the night before or that morning of everything I need to do. I find it therapeutic and I have a sense of achievement by the evening when I've done everything or nearly everything on the list. If I don't complete everything I just pop what I didn't complete on to a list for the next day.

AIBU to think that I'm not the only person who does this? And if you don't do it, I can highly suggest that a good list could just help you sleep better at night

I think a daily list really helps if you have depression or anxiety. When I had PND my list would be things like clean teeth, brush hair etc, so I could feel that is achieved something for myself each day, even if very tiny thing.
I still do it now. I write down read 2 chapters of book or whatever enjoyable thing I want to achieve for myself today. So my lists aren't just work and family chores.

I couldn't cope without lists.

@SheilaHammond sounds exactly the same as me! Things on my list tonight (but not all of them):

Clothes away
Washing on
Plump cushions
Wash hair
Paint nails
Change bedsheets

If I didn't have my list and my sense of achievement when it's all done I doubt I would do it and I doubt my house would stay clean!

I live by lists. I'm all over the place and very little gets done if I don't have my lists to refer to.

Not kust you!

Have you tried bullet jounalling? It takes your lists to a whole new level

I photograph my lists just in case I lose them when I’m out

I do this too, such is the fear of list-loss. I always have a couple of manual notepad lists on the go, plus specific lists, plus a couple more lists on my phone (love that I can add a tickbox on the notes app). Nothing better than sitting down with all my lists and merging them into one long list. I'd forget Really Important Things if I didn't have lists.

Lists rule!

I too love a good list. Shopping lists, To Do lists, I’ve even got a holiday list book! Even DH likes the holiday lists.

I cannot function without lists. Bullet journalling tipped over into procrastination. I now just have an excel sheet with a very long list of tasks.... I have a rule that if it can be done in the time it takes to type it in it just gets done. I put a link to the file where I save the correspondence, docs and a file note so I don't have to faff re learning what I was supposed to when I get to the item in the list.

All tasks have an expiry date and when it is the day before it turns red.

Finished tasks get deleted, with the link saved onto my appraisal form if it demonstrates a competence / outcome.

I actually find it quite difficult to multitask and without a list, I’m sure I would just faff about all day and get nothing done. It has also been a helpful way of managing any general anxiety that I have too.

“Have you tried bullet jounalling? It takes your lists to a whole new level”

Ooh, I’m going to look into that!

I tried bullet journaling, but realised I was spending more time making my lists look pretty than actually doing stuff...

Fuck all would get done if I didn't put it in a list. I've had to buy myself an academic diary as I've started mat leave and felt totally lost without my teacher planner for the rest of the year.

PS: also have anxiety and 'circular' thoughts. The only way I can stop stressing and worrying that I will forget something is by writing it down. Otherwise I still have the list but it runs on a constant loop in my head, meaning I can't relax.

I have so many lists I have a special cupboard for my lists 🙈

@FluffyMcCloud totally agree with lists being a coping mechanism,

Family always knew I made lists and I got the occasional ribbing about it when my mum became seriously ill and on borrowed time, they all saw how my lists for 101 things which I needed to get out of my head. find out, do, breathe, shower and eat and sleep, - it went to basics like that first, it is 1 of 2 things which helped me survive that time (a lot of other shit happened at the same time)

At one point in 5 full days and night straight , bar a 3 hour sleep I was in zombie land , my brain was in overload and the lists helped m dump it out and also useful when someone asked if they could do anything, I would adapt a list to their skills and abilities and so was delegating so all got down without sending me into the bed beside my mum.

Lists allow me to put my thoughts and to dos in an order that makes sense for me and also the satisfaction of ticking things off

This thread is good, I need to become a list-maker as I’m sick and tired of being annoyed with myself for getting nothing done.

I’ve made a list for tomorrow and I’ve also put a reminder on my phone to look at the list. Because that would be the crucial aspect that I’m bound to omit

Lists and a nice diary/pen makes me feel good