Many years ago, when my life became more complicated than I thought it would ever be, I started making lists.
They provided a way to organize, to create a visual reminder and to help stay on track. Distractions are par for the course; having a To Do list means a second thought often occurs before serious veering takes place.
These lists have, through the years, undergone changes in form. When I was the road warrior professional, I kept everything electronically, either in some calendar (that then produced my coveted lists for me), or some format that was all the techno rage at that particular point in time. I also carried a BlackBerry for many years because a: it was a good tool and b: I was expected to be in touch, 24/7, and up to speed, always.
Onward.
The lists became more and more complicated. I worked for a development company for a bit (a short bit - it sucked for reasons I'll spare you right now but I'm still trying to regain the piece of my soul that was consumed during that 8 months in my life) that chose a project management software that, suffice to say, managed to overcomplicate to the point where nobody knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing at any given point, and much angst was the result. Oh, and there were only 8 of us at the company headquarters, which is where my demented boss decided to use it, spending umpteen thousands of dollars and stressing all of us out beyond belief before we agreed unanimously to jettison the entire idea. The months following said jettison were the most productive on record, I'm told, which made my diminished little soul happy in some way to know.
Through my professional years the list endeavor underwent many changes, some helpful, some annoying, but the lists continued.
And now that I'm out of that particular rat race and off the gerbil wheel (two animal cliches in one sentence? Woot!), I am back to the grass roots approach.
My lists are on a yellow legal pad. Every few days I update, append, cross off completed items, etc., and, weird, but I'm on track.
Better than ever, and requiring no electronic plugin or batteries or training or license or monthly subscription fee.
You may view that as devolution; I view it as progress on an immeasurable level.
They provided a way to organize, to create a visual reminder and to help stay on track. Distractions are par for the course; having a To Do list means a second thought often occurs before serious veering takes place.
These lists have, through the years, undergone changes in form. When I was the road warrior professional, I kept everything electronically, either in some calendar (that then produced my coveted lists for me), or some format that was all the techno rage at that particular point in time. I also carried a BlackBerry for many years because a: it was a good tool and b: I was expected to be in touch, 24/7, and up to speed, always.
Onward.
The lists became more and more complicated. I worked for a development company for a bit (a short bit - it sucked for reasons I'll spare you right now but I'm still trying to regain the piece of my soul that was consumed during that 8 months in my life) that chose a project management software that, suffice to say, managed to overcomplicate to the point where nobody knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing at any given point, and much angst was the result. Oh, and there were only 8 of us at the company headquarters, which is where my demented boss decided to use it, spending umpteen thousands of dollars and stressing all of us out beyond belief before we agreed unanimously to jettison the entire idea. The months following said jettison were the most productive on record, I'm told, which made my diminished little soul happy in some way to know.
Through my professional years the list endeavor underwent many changes, some helpful, some annoying, but the lists continued.
And now that I'm out of that particular rat race and off the gerbil wheel (two animal cliches in one sentence? Woot!), I am back to the grass roots approach.
My lists are on a yellow legal pad. Every few days I update, append, cross off completed items, etc., and, weird, but I'm on track.
Better than ever, and requiring no electronic plugin or batteries or training or license or monthly subscription fee.
You may view that as devolution; I view it as progress on an immeasurable level.
Comments
Post a Comment