What's on Your List?

Life would be difficult without the use of simple lists. Until recently, I never appreciated how much we depend on ordered lists of tasks: grocery list, to-do list, playlist, travel list, medication list, school supply list, mailing list, etc. The "list" goes on and on. Haha  :)  Earlier in my life I would maintain lists in my head. Not anymore. I now need written lists. And whatever you do Diane, DON'T forget the dang list at home. So maddening.

 

Lists don't need to be utilitarian. It can be beneficial to venture outside the practical purpose of the list mindset. It can be surprising what creative lists can reveal and how they can guide and even influence your life. Have you ever thought about listing the components of a perfect day?  One of my first coffee dates with Kevin included a conversation about what we considered the "perfect day." It was a sign of good things to come when we discovered we shared many of the same ideas (not in any particular order): 

 

1. Have all the kids home for a meal.
2. Not feel tired.
3. Read.
4. Outside temperature in the 70's.
5. Exercise.
6. Nap.
7. Eat a good meal.
8. Outdoor activity.
9. Have a clean house.

10. Be Saturday.
11. Get your tires rotated.

It was two years earlier, while strolling the displays at Barnes and Noble, I discovered the book "List Your Self." As often happens, the title caught my attention: List Your Self. Intrigued, I curiously thumbed through the pages. It really was a book about lists...over 250 of them.  Each page tasks the the reader with a list to complete. Thinking I'd found the solution to journaling without the effort of writing, I purchased the book. If I couldn't journal, I'd trick myself into it - one list at a time. 

Some lists were harmless recollections: 

• List the names of all your pets, from childhood until today. 
• List the fads you embraced while growing up.

Others may cause anxiety and unresolved issues to surface: 

• List the times you said "yes" when you wish you had said "no."
• List all the people you aren't talking to anymore. 

Others...

• Humorous: List what kinds of people should never drive.
• Introspective: List all the qualities in yourself you like the least.
• Hurt: List the major betrayals in your life.
• Memories: List the sights, smells, and sounds you remember from your grandparents' house. 
• Regret: Suddenly you can turn back time. List the year you would return to and all the events you would change.
  

The Introduction page describes the book well: "List Your Self...is simply a wild and probing ride through your personal history. Put on the miner's hat with the light and sharpen your pick. Dig in. Dig deep. There's gold in them thar hills...you'll suddenly discover an inventory of personal secrets, fears and desires that flow out effortlessly and surprise you."

That was 14 years ago. I didn't complete every list in the book, but I don't regret the purchase. I know that the time I spent remembering and reflecting allowed me to grow and better know myself. It is still a part of my book collection - ready today, tomorrow or whenever the "journaling" bug bites again. The beauty of "List Your Self" is that it is a never-ending book, mirroring our never-ending growth process. 

To this list I would readily add people who text while driving.