I have always been more of an organized person. My whole life I have been lining things up, alphabetizing, and organizing with colors. As I got older and as life got more hectic, it became a lot harder for me to remember things and keep track of things. I knew the best thing to do was to fall back on what I had always known: how to organize.
In high school ,and especially college, I have begun to appreciate the art that is list-making. When your brain is going in a million directions and you need to get certain things done, it is often hard to remember the most important things you need to do. That’s when I started making lists for myself.
List-making started sheerly for homework purposes because even my filled out agenda wasn’t enough for me to remember things. Lists can be a godsend when it comes to homework. These can be daily, weekly, monthly, or even semester long lists. I personally like to have multiple lists at a time. For instance, I usually write out my weekly homework assignments, but then each morning I write up a sticky note indicating which assignments I hope to complete within that day.
The best part, though, is completing a task and being able to cross it off your list. It is the most satisfying thing in the world to feel like you’re accomplishing something and getting important things done.
With the stress and daunting amount of homework in college, this satisfaction can be the only thing that gets you through the day; knowing there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
If you like making homework lists, then I recommend you try to add this habit into your daily life. Personally, I like to wake up and make a list of the things I need to do that day. I add to my list things like meetings, clubs, meals, plans with friends, homework assignments, classes, appointments, and anything else I can think of that day. This helps me have a better plan for the day and, instead of going in blind, I know exactly what needs to be accomplished.
Like my homework lists, I cross things off as I do them and work through my day knowing exactly what I’ll need to do next. The more I do and cross off, the more accomplished I feel.
Making lists and making sure I cross everything off has helped me to procrastinate less. Instead of holding off until the last minute, doing unimportant things and creating a sense of false completion in myself, I make sure I get things done.
In a hectic world where it is hard to remember things and even harder to stay organized, lists can be so helpful to keep your life orderly. They certainly have for me.
There are many different ways to make lists. I prefer using sticky notes with bullet points and throwing them away when I’m done with them. There are also ways you can do it using dry erase boards and erasing tasks when done. It’s all about finding the techniques that work best for you. Once you find it, you’re already on your way to living a more organized and scheduled life.