By Maria Gracia

Lists can be very powerful tools when you understand their importance. Here are 5 list reminders: 1. It’s not just about making lists.

Jill diligently makes lists each and every day, from her things to do, to movies she’d like to rent, to creative ideas that pop into her head. One would think that Jill is incredibly organized and gets tons of stuff completed. In truth, it’s just the opposite. Jill writes everything down but never refers to her lists. She finds enjoyment in making the lists and feels more organized to have these lists in her possession. She appears organized to outsiders, but in essence is getting very little, if anything, done.

Lists can be very powerful tools but only if you refer to them daily, and apply what you’ve written on them. It’s good to make lists, but for them to be worth anything, you have to actually do the things on your list.

2. Let your lists remember for you.

The bottom line is that no matter how good one’s memory is, it’s never a good idea to rely solely on memory. The average person has tons of things to remember in a given day, and because of this, things are bound to be forgotten. If you write things down there’s no need to remember and errors will be reduced dramatically.

3. Making a list doesn’t take more time. It saves time.

Margaret says that by the time she writes things down, she could have them done. So she randomly does things throughout her day. It never saves time to try to keep everything in your head and to approach your day in a random manner. Writing things down allows you to see the big picture and to approach your day in a systemized manner that ends with you accomplishing many things and feeling productive. Taking just a few minutes to write things down can save you hours.

4. It doesn’t take the fun out of it.

Cathy is afraid if she writes out a "to do" list, it takes the spontaneity out of her day. She sees herself as a creative person and thinks the act of writing things down is restrictive. At the same time, Cathy is unhappy with her many unfinished projects, and her lack of free time. On the other hand, Barb writes everything down and believes she’ll have more time for spontaneity by doing so. And she’s right. You see, just because you make to do lists, it doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible. Even though I make "to do" lists, I have often decided to be spontaneous and take the afternoon off to enjoy a book outside or to take a walk in a nearby park.

A "to do" list is simply a guide that allows you to systematically get things done, but it’s not set in stone and it’s not restrictive. In fact, I see the list as a tool to free my mind. I don’t have to remember what to do. It’s on my list. And if I decide to take the afternoon off, my list will remind me to get back to my projects tomorrow.

5. Have many lists but not in many places.

Marlene has a list for everything, to do. That’s not a problem. In fact, it’s great to have the things you want to remember written down. Marlene’s problem is that her lists are written on sticky notes, notebooks, scraps of paper tossed in drawer, torn envelopes attached to her fridge and random papers scattered on her home office desk and kitchen table. In other words, she has lists but she can never find them.

Your lists won’t do you any good if you don’t know where they are. Keep your lists in a binder (such as the Get Organized Now! Easy Organizer) or in a filing system. They should all be in one place and easily accessible when you need them.