The List Log

It's Personal.

2009-05-03T11:26:00.004-05:00

who dun it?

2009-03-24T14:18:00.005-05:00

For the last few days there has been a list taped to the wall at school. Every time I walk by I wonder why it's there... did someone find this on the floor and decide the best thing to do would be to tape it up on the wall? did that person just happen to have masking tape with them?

Looks like someone's going to have quite the spring break bash! I didn't include a close up of the sheet on the right, because it's a guest list... with two names on it... well, I hope the three of you have fun!

Don't Hate, Don't Hate

2009-02-03T22:34:00.002-06:00

List Log 2009 coming soon.

technologic

2008-12-03T15:03:00.004-06:00

Some people's list lives exist solely on their computers. Does yours? This list-lover has a forest of Stickies, some more than a year old. Personally I'm a mixed bag. Some lists on the computer, some on paper.

LB Crazy

2008-11-14T19:27:00.003-06:00

The file name of this scan of lists is "lbcrazy.jpg"

I think that's a pretty good description. These are lists that I made before falling asleep very early on in the semester. I was really stressed out and feeling crazy so these were an attempt to make myself feel more organized and calm. They are a little embarrassing. I don't know why I got into the habit of drawing an alarm clock at the top. I was really really anxious and stressed the night I made the one on the upper right! Do you have any weird listing habits when you're feeling insane?

PostSecret

2008-11-05T10:06:00.004-06:00

This week on PostSecret, a particular postcard caught my eye:

I think we can all relate to this!

Tiny Lists

2008-10-29T17:47:00.004-05:00

Lists all made by the same person, all in the same method. Ripped off corners of paper. Isn't it interesting that avid list-makers usually have a habit that they get into? I think I've mentioned before that I usually flip through a notebook and open to a random unused page, which then creates weird gaps of blank paper throughout my notebooks. What are your listing habits?

Violent Check-offs

2008-10-11T11:00:00.007-05:00

This list was made to keep track of changes that needed to be made to a project. Notice that this person wrote that one part took 4 1/2 hours! I like the idea of writing down how much time it took to do something. Normally, It's my instinct to write down how much time I think something will take.

Sometimes it's necessary to cross things out really violently. I can relate to that. The second picture is the back of the list. Look how hard she pushed! You can see marks from the other side.

The back of the list is a bonus that may or may not have to do with the project.

Sneaky

2008-10-04T12:49:00.001-05:00

A certain someone added something to my list

The Five Best To-Do List Managers

2008-09-25T19:14:00.002-05:00

Lifehacker comes through yet again. Back in August they discussed the five "best" to do list managers. Check it out! The comments are full of good information, too.

The Five Best To-Do List Managers >>>

"It's just some photographers."

2008-09-22T00:52:00.002-05:00

I Missed You

2008-09-18T15:25:00.004-05:00

All the list luv is back after a summer hiatus! Lots of goodies to come.

For now, lists that haunted my life over the summer:

obsessively making very obvious and embarrassing lists mostly revolving around food. What will I pack for lunch, what can I bring along with me, what will I eat for breakfast. These are almost a little bit too hard for me to release to the internet. Stickies on Dashboard feed the flame!

Link Time

2008-06-17T17:49:00.007-05:00

"Ta-da List is the web's easiest to-do list tool. Make lists for yourself or share them with others. It couldn't be simpler."

They claim it only takes 10 seconds to sign up! Looks cool, not sure how viable it is for long-term use, though.

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"Lists of Bests is a place where you can…

Create a list of your favorite products, places, people, goals, food, etc
Mark off your progress on an existing list
Compare your progress on a list with someone else"

For the competitive list-maker!

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"The List Universe, a site full of top 10 lists covering all manner of subjects. We are updated daily!"

The kind of site I get sucked into very easily.

Is This What We Need?

2008-06-02T14:22:00.003-05:00

Check It >>>

Busy Times, Desperate Measures

2008-04-04T20:42:00.003-05:00

Today (five minutes ago) I witnessed old to-do lists being ripped out of a notebook in rage. They were thrown to the side, ripped up, and even bitten at one point. (?) Things from the past are sometimes painful to think about (especially long to-do lists) and I can understand why someone would desperately try to get them out of their life.

My Listing Habits

2008-03-21T12:53:00.004-05:00

Lately I've been subscribing to the whole Getting Things Done phenomenon that is taking the blog world by storm. There are a lot of great blogs out there with tons of information and tips related to productivity, creativity, GTD, organization and more. For a great roundup of the top blogs of this nature, click here >>>

So how does this relate to listing? Well, in using this new system, I find myself wanting to do a lot of "brain dumps". This requires me to empty my brain and then process and categorize the items. Only problem is, I'm also trying to unclutter my life. SO, I've been using a freeware called Actiontastic. This allows me to make a lot of lists and get everything out of my head without generating extra garbage.

This takes some getting used to. When I empty my head into the computer program, it doesn't feel as satisfying as a physical, written list. When I'm really stressed, the only thing that makes my brain actually feel less crazy is writing a real list in a little notebook with pen!

I still recommend Actiontastic, though!

Any Material

2008-03-12T17:09:00.005-05:00

It's really satisfying to see an extremely organized list like this one. It is written on a flat paper bag and includes a to-print, to-do, and time-oriented lists! This list was offered to me almost immediately after it was made. Does the process of making a list ingrain it into your mind making it unnecessary to use the list at all?

Grocery List

2008-03-11T11:22:00.005-05:00

This list was first written in a stream of consciousness, then rearranged to reflect where items are located in the store.

On the Back of a Receipt

2008-03-06T10:15:00.004-06:00

A list of places that this list-maker would like to eat. Look closely and you can see where the receipt was from. Lists can be made on any surface...

This list is organized by where each restaurant is located.

Multiple Lists on One Page

2008-02-28T17:20:00.007-06:00

Multiple lists on one page in order to save paper. Individual items on lists are crossed off when completed, whole lists are crossed off when no longer relevant.

Listen to the owner of this list talk about their process >>>

To-Learn Lists

2008-02-26T14:52:00.004-06:00

Keeping To-Learn Lists >>>

From the article:

Benefits of a To-Learn List

1. Focus on great ideas versus the most popular ones. It’s easy to buy books only from the front of a bookstore. Saving your ideas can get you to push into different subjects that might take more searching.

2. Split up your interests. If your self-education isn’t organized, it is easy to pick your favorite subjects even if 90% of the book’s material is old. Keeping a to-learn list allows you to explore subjects that are on the fringe of your current understanding.

3. Create a more varied reading diet. Keeping a to-learn list can help you balance fiction with non-fiction, science with literature and blend different types of books so your reading list doesn’t get stale.

A List Notebook

2008-02-24T21:05:00.010-06:00

I always buy or make little books specifically for writing lists. I keep them for about a week until they get misplaced. I find them later and then wonder why I thought it would be a good idea in the first place.

Here is an example someone gave me of a notebook purely for listing. Clearly it's been flipped through and shoved into bags over and over because the spiral binding is very bent and the pages are difficult to turn.

The thing I like about these lists is that they all seem to be in different handwriting, but they are actually by the same person. I find myself doing that too.

Many types of lists are in this notebook, and it's nice to see a few items crossed off.

He Doesn't Get It...

2008-02-19T17:11:00.001-06:00

Stress Management

2008-02-19T16:24:00.003-06:00

A detailed approach to managing stress through creating to-do lists >>>

They even include a template for creating a prioritized list.

Time-oriented List

2008-02-19T15:01:00.006-06:00

I found a post-it note folded up very tiny next to a garbage can while I was at work. I can never resist picking up paper when I see it abandoned on the floor...

This list has times attached to the items on it, which is the sort of list that I've been making a lot lately.

I think I know who this belonged to, which really satisfies my nosiness.

Process, Handwriting

2008-02-17T20:57:00.004-06:00

This list was written in a notebook and then copied onto "Vulcan Green" paper. The person who wrote this list told me that her normal handwriting doesn't look like this, but she obsessively likes her lists to look perfect. This is for some type of school project.

A Comment on To-Do Lists

2008-02-16T13:35:00.002-06:00

Many Purposes

2008-02-10T15:10:00.003-06:00

This list was folded into a little booklet that had writing on both sides of the paper. The person who gave this to me made doodles, a schedule, a "priorities" list, and more... If you notice, really tiny, it says "December 4th."

I guess this one's been floating around in his bag for a while.

List Time Lapse

2008-02-07T21:54:00.004-06:00

This list stayed with its owner for a few days and changed quite a bit over time. Between January 31st and February 7th this list accumulated a lot more items, got some things crossed off, and even got a mini list going on the back.