Inside the Mind of a List Maker

Are you a list maker?  Do you set goals . .. yearly, weekly, or daily goals?  I am a list maker and I set goals - all kinds of goals.  It makes me happy!

In our first year of marriage, as we relaxed on New Years Day, I looked at Darryl and asked, 'So, what are your goals for the year?"  He looked at me funny.  He doesn't set goals.  I made him write a goal list thinking everyone should do this wonderful thing.  Guess what?  By January 2nd he had no idea what he had written down.  For real.

Darryl has asked me the following a few times -- "Why do you make a list or set goals when you know you won't complete them?"  I think that's the secret behind the mind of a list maker.

Are you ready?  That secret is simply without a list nothing gets done; with a list something gets done.  I know when I post my monthly goals or when I write a daily list that I will not accomplish everything on the list.  Shoot, sometimes I don't complete ANYTHING on it but at least I tried!

Planning makes me feel secure.  Writing things down in my planner is my sure fire way of making sure that I don't miss an appointment or event that is important.  Plus, a planner brings me joy.

Last week was a week where I made an incredible plan.  I had a couple of days off from babysitting and I was giving the kids a "vacation" week so I didn't need to plan, prepare, and execute their plans.  With that in mind, I made a plan of what I wanted to done - some huge projects to be honest.  Do you know how much of that list I got done?  Next to nothing! 


On one hand I was a little mad at myself but on the other hand, I understand that I had other things get in the way and, honestly, it was humid and and that makes me not want to do much . As a list maker, I don't see failure, even though I'm sure some of you do, but rather I see opportunity.  I can look at my long unfinished list and break it down into smaller bites to work on in the coming days.