Talk 'to-do' lists with Aviva - you could win £150 worth of high street vouchers. NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by the team at Aviva to find out about your probably very long to-do list maybe it's on the fridge, on your phone or all in your head?

What's been on your to-do list forever and you've so far managed to avoid ticking off? What's your strategy for managing an ever-growing to do list? What impact did having children have on the list? Or, have you managed to tick something off? How did it make you feel?

Aviva says "With such busy lifestyles it's no surprise that families use lists to keep on top of things. However there's a temptation to focus on things we like doing, which can mean really important jobs stay on the list. Taking a little time to prioritise the things that are most important to your family's future and ticking them off could really benefit your family in the long run."

So please share your thoughts below - everyone who adds a comment below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win £150 worth of high street vouchers.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

PS Please note your comments, anon of course, may be used by Aviva on MN and possibly elsewhere.

I have to admit, I always thought that lists were a female trait, but when DM was reaching complete meltdown organising a big party, DB2 stepped in and restructured her endless list into a meta list (list of lists) with associated lists, in sensible order so that the first thing on the list wasn't impossible because it depended on 5 other things IYSWIM. His list structure was a thing of beauty

I have a list at work, usually a mixture of short term hits, like sending important emails etc, something I can tick off easily to make me feel like I'm succeeding! Do have a few longer term ones on there, even if it just prompts me to chase something up.

Lists at home usually have odd shopping items on there, things that I don't buy every week that I would otherwise forget.
Also have birthday presents etc on there, otherwise I forget.

Lists are satisfying, but only if you have achievable goals that you can tick off, otherwise it becomes detrimental and a constant reminder of how you are failing!

I have a rectangle of blackboard paint in the kitchen - jobs for today (clean floors/ ring plumber.
I have a box of paper work to be sorted on a weekly basis; permission slips from school, electoral roll letters and longer term things like payment plans for school trips.
I have a Filofax with Xmas and birthday lists .

I am actually super organised

I love lists. I have several! I have daily lists, short term goal lists, long term house improvement lists, Christmas gift lists etc.
By writing it down it frees up my mind to think of other things and I'm less stressed because I'm not constantly thinking I've forgotten stuff

Crossing stuff off a list is a brilliant feeling and quite addictive.. it helps me to fell a sense of achievement throughout the day.
I do have stuff on my long term home improvement list that has been there for a good few years due to not having the cash to do it yet, but I don't get disheartened, it keeps me focused that there are things I want to do that I need to work for

that is so true about procrastinating and getting on with mainly the things we enjoy doing!

there are certain items that I need to go shopping for specifically that I never seem to get around to. As well as some things I would like to look into if I got the time (which never happens).

I find lists so helpful as by writing it down it reduces the stress of having to remember and you get the satisfaction of ticking it off.

I even have the kids homework listed on my 'to do' list (to remind me to remind them to do it).

Most important things do get done but usually just in the nick of time.

There are some things that remain forever on the to do list - like there is always ironing to be done! That job never ends.

I even add things like this onto my 'to do' list if there is a thread on mumsnet that I want to join in with but don't have a chance at that moment it goes on the 'to do' list!

My to do list for things at home is on the iPad. Some tasks have been on there since I moved in though which is now over a year! Finally ticked off getting a shoe rack and clearing the massive pile of shoes from the hall way... At work I always seem to have millions of scraps of paper with my to do lists.

I'm the one that does lists in our house. I don't know how my husband manages without them. Shopping list every week. To-do list on busy days. The things that are on the list but never get done are certain household chores, like fixing dripping taps, and tidying up the overgrown garden.
Having children makes it so much harder to get anything done, and certain things (like the garden) I just accept aren't going to be done.

I keep a to do list on my phone. It's mostly admin stuff that I need to wait until the DC are in bed and I still have the energy for. Some things stay on the list until they're no longer relevant, but I get round to doing most of it eventually.
I also keep a shopping list on my phone that I can keep adding to when I think of things. It's easier than a paper lust because I'm less likely to lose it. I sometimes transfer it to a bit of paper for going around the shop, rather than have my phone out the whole time.

I love making lists, it keeps me on track and efficient. There is a continual shopping list on the fridge, all family members know to write down items which they finish or use up. I have an all year round Christmas list so I can jot down ideas or items I've bought. I often do a to-do jobs list and ask my dcs to choose one to do that day. There is a lot of satisfaction when ticking things off a list! Currently we have our house on the market and there's a jobs list of diy tasks...one of which has needed doing since we moved here ten years ago!

I have lots of lists. It's a brave attempt to remain organised amidst a rising sea of chaos. Mostly sometimes I feel I am winning. However some of the old lists do have am alarming tenancy to scatter around me like confetti when I rummaged through handbag. Someone should invent a system of ticking them off when I've finished with them, I never seem to get round to throwing them away otherwise.

My lists:

• weekly meal plan (on whiteboard in kitchen)
• grocery shopping list ( to take to supermarket)
• grocery shopping list (on whiteboard in kitchen, has all the things written on as we run out of them - pickles, detergent, soy sauce etc)
• shopping list for what clothes I still need to get for DD's next size up (she is a toddler & I can't afford to just replace them all at once when she outgrows a size so I do it slowly & write down what I have got).
• jobs to do around the house (repainting living room etc)
• I may introduce a new list: Christmas/birthday presents acquired for DD. I've already spent far more than I'd planned to. Perhaps if I had a list (complete with figures) I might be less inclined to add to the growing pile of presents.
• mental list of housework, don't need a list for this...

Oh I love lists! Writing lists gives me an excuse to buy notebooks. Love ticking things off, makes me feel efficient.

My household "office" is on top of the cookery books bookshelves, Calendar on the wall and notebooks, diary, pens and a load of other crap on the top.

I have a general shopping list on the go which I add things to as I notice them and a day to day to do list (eg make vets appointment, take duvet to drycleaners etc). I tell the children "write it on the list" so sometimes the list will say "Tons of chocolate for MEEE", and once, mystifyingly, "Toyota Yaris"

A general to do list/wish list in my diary with bigger things on. Some of these get moved to the next diary year after year, so it includes things like new bathroom flooring.

A Christmas/Birthday list also in my diary where I write down ideas as I think of them. I transfer most of this to my Amazon wishlists.

At work my list is on excel, in priority order & colour coded for urgency. Each day I'll write a quick 'must do' list which little stuff gets added to, and struck through when done. If still on list at end of day it goes on master list.

At home we have excel spreadsheet for Christmas (tabs for presents, carried forward for 5 years so we don't duplicate), food, other stuff.

We also have a notebook for menu planning, shopping list and general stuff to do.

I use my phone for lists galore.

on busy days I do a list the night before... listing everything the day will entail from what time I'll get up shower / get ready to work meetings/ appointments /travel times etc... It makes me feel a bit more prepared. Its rare that I end up doing everything as time listed but it makes me calmer to think I have a plan to fit everything in.

I am engaged and trying to think about wedding plans. I make lists about everything. Guests / destinations / pro and con lists of big vs small etc. I am not actually achieving anything by doing this... but it makes me feel like I am doing something as opposed to faffing around.

I am always making lists. To do lists. Wish lists. Shopping Lists. I have a list of projects to do around the house but that require a bit of investment and time so DH and I just haven't gotten around to ticking them off.

List includes:
*Putting a cabinet door back on that fell off months ago.
*Turning a wardrobe into a kitchen larder/pantry
*Painting some floating shelves from various wood colours to white
*Hanging numerous picture frames up

I always get my short term lists done. Since getting married and preparing for a baby those have included.
*Write thank you cards
*Pack hospital bag
*Wash baby's clothes
*Finish decorating nursery
*Buy new dressing gown

So I am making good progress on this list!

I've been a list-maker ever since I could write.

I have them on a notepad on the ipad now, and have various lists for various things.

• We are currently looking to move house so we have a list of the current properties we like
• We have a list of activities in the area for DS/us as a family
• We have a list of dream travel destinations
• A list for what to get who for Xmas

etc

I don't bother with a shopping list specifically as we shop online so it is all stored on there for us. We had a list of DIY for the house we are selling and it has felt good crossing things off the list as and when they get completed.

I have a notebook so I can keep all lists and notes together.
I take my grocery list to the supermarket to avoid impulse buys.

I have things to do lists - short term and longer term. I'll write them at the end of the day when I'm winding down. Even if I don't look at it the next day, the act of writing it helps me to remember.

I love to do lists.

I have a "live" one running at all times on my phone that I can glance at and see what needs doing in the vague future; then random ones for shopping, chores, events to remember

I've avoided having to paint my skirting boards simply because I haven't added it to the list lazy

But when I finally managed to get off the sofa and scrub the hallway walls done I felt a glowing pride. Shame that 5 mins later everyone barged through the front door with sticky hands and black boots

Its all on my phone. I get a kick out of ticked off jobs do that's my incentive to do jobs on the list! If i don't write them down they nag at the back of my mind, once theyre added to my to do list i don't worry about them anymore.

I run four main lists, one for everyday things that is on the whiteboard in the kitchen for everyone in the house to review, one on my work pc that pops up every morning with my daily tasks on it- linked into my diary so I can't ignore the popup, one on Evernote to remind me of incidentals and things I've not put elsewhere and one in my head that has the one, three and five year plan on it.
I've got a good memory, so don't really need the lists written down, but the pleasure of crossing off something from the list is a really positive driver for getting things done

I have a to do list for work, one the home and one for my DH (that he never actually does anything off). I have a shocking memory and so need them to keep organised. The thing that's been on my list longest is to decorate the house! We chose colours and planned it all out but never got around to actually doing it. Having kids does really limit the time we have to spend on stuff like this, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

I have an app on the pc which I use to write to do lists. I like the satisfaction of being to tick things off and also have separate lists for work and home etc. Simple but effective.

I need a list as feel calmer when I have at least written down everything I need to do. I get stressed that I will forget something otherwise.

Having children has just made my lists longer as more things to do and less time to do them in.

I also love a list I use wunderlist on my mobile and good old paper lists too.
I have christmas lists, weekly/daily 'to do' lists, activities for the family and small lists are just stuck on the fridge (with a magnet) also the calendar must be one that we can write lots on.

The pleasure from crossing off a list is fabulous. With both DCs at different schools I know lists are essential.
My memory is good but I like the reassurance a list gives you.

I buy gorgeous notebooks from Paperchase, Muji and Moleskine to write in. I use the Moleskine ones to record random thoughts, combinations of words I like and ideas for writing. I also sketch in them.

I have a Christmas gift notebook with stocking gift lists at the back and main gifts at the front.

I have a notebook listing the details of all the books I want to buy and I cross them off as I acquire them.

I have a DVD/films to watch list. I have a music to acquire list. I even have a page of ideas for Pinterest boards ehich is probably rather tragic - recent ideas include Foreign Pharmacy Buys, 'Slither', Shona Heath (a set designer for editorial) and My imaginary Husband (Lou Reed who recently left me a widow )

I have a gardening notebook detailing plants and their locations, where bulbs are, garden planning and design and a calendar of tasks. I also have an allotment notebook which is kind of the same. They both have photographs pasted into them showing plants in flower, progress etc. I also do little sketches of plants w/ watercolour pencils. I'm not that good. They mostly resemble generic green bushes.

Don't even get me started on my cooking notebooks. I have at least seven full notebooks and recipe files, mostly handwritten and some pasted in tearsheets from magazines/printed off recipes. My daughter wants them when I am dead.

My entire house needs redoing. I don't list all the jobs there as if I did my head would explode.

When I first met my DH I would sometimes record his texts in a notebook because they were so funny. I get a little embarrassed about it but recently showed him and he got a bit teary reading them. They were so funny and loving (and a bit more sometimes ) that I didn't want them to be lost forever when the phone died. They are a little narrative of the first year of our relationship.

Oh and I ALWAYS leave my shopping lists in the little clip on thingy on the Waitrose trolley for somebody to find.