Welcome to 2012! Will the world end on December 12? Will the Kardashians take over before then? Will hell actually freeze over when the Cubs win the World Series?
I don’t have any predictions about the world in 2012. Nor do I have any New Year’s resolutions. This year, like most years, what I have is my handy-dandy list of goals.
List-making? Yes, lists. I love lists. I make daily lists, weekly lists and monthly lists. Headlines that read Top 10 Fabulous/Hilarious/Helpful Things always catch my eye. I fill notepads, notebooks and journals with ’em and I enjoy crossing each entry off – that sense of accomplishment is a pure rush of adrenaline. My lists contain goals for my career, things I need to remember, and a step-by-step process for beating out Kim, Kourtney and Kloe in my quest for world domination.Science has shown that making lists is good for many of us. Goal-centered lists motivate us, help us stay more organized, assist us in prioritizing, and (surprise, surprise) actually make us more creative! Good news for writers and other artists.
Lists can also be highly entertaining. David Letterman, anyone?
Yes, there’s an evil downside to list making. Overdoing it. There are those of us (who shall remain nameless) who get so caught up in making the lists and crossing to-do things off them that we can become overwhelmed and frustrated when we always have more to do than we can actually accomplish.
So this year, I’m reigning in the list making. One list per day of the top 10 things I want/need to do. A short list, in other words. I’m also keeping my New Year business plan list to the top 12 things (one for each month) that I want to accomplish in 2012. You have no idea how hard it is for me to keep it at one thing per month.
I’m also keeping my list-making mania in prospective by visiting http://www.toptenz.net. This site is filled with Top 10 lists of every type imaginable, many of them hilarious and entertaining. For example, take this Top 10 Demotivational Posters Featuring Animals http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-funny-demotivational-posters-feauring-animals.php .
Other lists on this site are educational. In fact, as writers, you can find tons of cool historical facts and stories to trigger your creative side. Since I write spy novels, one of my favorites was the Top 10 Conspiracy Theories http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-conspiracy-theories.php.
So tell me, are you a list maker? Does it help you stay on track? When you look at your goals for 2012, do you feel excited or overwhelmed? One commenter will win a magnetic weekly list pad from me to help keep them organized in 2012! (be sure to leave your email addy in your comment if you want to be entered to win!)
I’m a list maker, but not as obsessive as you. lol I didn’t make one today, because today’s is short. Only two things on it besides making dinner tonight. But one of them is HUGE . Start my novella over. Which means I have to think of a new plot, because my last one wasn’t working.
Good luck on the rewrite, Edie! It sucks that you have to start over, but it’s great that you trust your instincts and know that’s the right thing to do.
Misty,
I admit, I love lists too. Now actually following through on them, that’s another thing
Ah, yes, follow through. Always the hardest part! I believe there is value in writing things down even if we don’t cross them off our lists. It frees up our brains for more fun things.
Hi Misty,
I’m a HUGE list maker – but that could be because I’m forever losing them
Actually when I start getting overwhelmed, just the process of writing a list helps me gain clarity, whether I refer back to it or not.
I tend to write things down on scraps of paper throughout the day, then trash them when I’ve completed whatever it was I needed to do. I take all my kids partially finished school books/jounals etc at the end of the year and I rip out the unused paper and staple together into scratch pads. I use these constantly.
Today’s list has 10 things on it already, but by actually making it to the blog today, I get to scratch one item off!!!! Lol
Dale Mayer`s last blog was …Hide’n Go Seek receives an AWESOME rating!
Awesome, Dale! Thank you for checking in. I can just see you happily crossing me off today’s list. LOL.
Lol – I can never cross YOU off – no worries there. I wish the next mess of items could be crossed off so easily. I have a new YA release to put up today. Formatting, coding, uploading – ugh!
Dale Mayer`s last blog was …Hide’n Go Seek receives an AWESOME rating!
Congrats on the new YA release! Yay!
I’m a huge list maker. I’ll even write things I’ve already done on a list just so I can cross them off and feel a sense of accomplishment.
A goal a month sounds like a great idea. I only made two goals this year. To start writing another YA book, since I haven’t started a new one in 3 years. And to make Platinum on my Pier 1 card, which should be a no-brainer. Have to have an easy goal to offset the more difficult one.
Here’s a cyber glass of champagne Misty, toasting your goals for 2012. Good luck!
Beth, you are my kind of gal! Good luck with that Pier 1 card. Sounds like a fun goal. You’ve made me rethink my own for this year.
I must confess to being a list maker–but I am trying to shorten my lists, promise!
Cynthia Eden`s last blog was …BOUND IN SIN–Free until 1/13/2012
Hey, if long lists work for you, Cynd, then by all means keep making them.
I’ve found myself making short lists but then adding one…more…thing about a dozen times a day. LOL. I’m trying to cut back, but so far, it’s not working.
Misty, I’m not a list maker. Well, not on paper, but I do juggle a list of goals and things to do in my head. If I write something down, it is usually the really big picture, just so I can keep reminding myself where I’m headed.
Happy New Year to you!
I’m so envious, Michelle! I wish I could keep all my lists tucked away in my head, but I’d forget all the important stuff. As you know, even writing stuff on my calendar doesn’t always mean I’ll remember to do it. My brain is good with coming up with stories, not so good keeping everything in real life so organized!
Oh, Misty, I *love* making lists…I only wish I managed to accomplish half of the things I put on mine, LOL.
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Happy New Year
Marilyn Brant`s last blog was …Happy New Year!!!
Marilyn, we’re so much alike! I often fail to accomplish everything on my daily list, but there’s always tomorrow, right? If I get the important stuff done, I call it good.
Happy New Year!