My Enemy, the To-Do List

I always thought it would be interesting to walk down a row of cubicles and survey each person's (preferably, the working girls') to-do listing systems. Seriously, wouldn't that be fun? Think of how much you'd learn about someone that way.

My guess is that every working girl organizes her day differently. But how? Does she color code using her rainbow pen and highlighter collection? Does she make neat little boxes to the left of each to-do item so at the end of the day, she can put a satisfying check mark in it when completed? Or, does she type out her to-do's in a Word doc, not exactly list-style, but instead with everything organized by sub-category? In fact, this makes me laugh, but there was this one VP at my first job who would write things she needed to do or remember on post-it notes and have them spread out all over her office floor! But hey, I'm not one to judge. If it works, it works.

Unfortunately for me, I suck at making lists. My "system" consists of writing down what I think needs to get done on any given piece of paper, preferably in a notebook, but the problem is that I have paper lying around everywhere and there's usually more than one notebook lying around too. And I have terrible handwriting. Ugh. So because I have several notebooks and pieces of paper lying around, I end up getting lists mixed up or I'm unable to find something important I've written down. Sometimes I get so fed up with my lists that I've even gone down the dangerous path of not writing anything down at all and just going through what needs to get done ... by memory. No, not good.

I really think making a to-do list is a real live talent and skill, and in my case, probably something that takes a lot of patience. The ultimate goal of making a list may be to help you become organized, but I think list-making itself takes considerable organization to begin with.

Somehow, I've managed to survive being a working girl these past five or so years with horrible list-making skills. Oh, sometimes I'll have good days and actually go as far as not losing a list and writing down times next to each item telling me when to start and stop a project, or I'll keep my lists written down in a planner for a few weeks, but I'm in no way consistent. I need a system that jives with me, something that fits me, you know? I'm craving it!!

I'd love some tips from you ladies. What helps you create and stick to a to-do list? In your opinion, what are some fail-safe list-making manuevers? And, is there any way to make it fun?