My friend, Lackadaisicalwhimsy – who blogs here and here, has set herself a challenge of one blog post per day for the whole of August. I LOVE challenges, far more than resolutions (that are often broken the next day) because challenges such as these are personal. You get to measure their success for yourself, without other people’s judgements or criticisms. Only you can decide if they have been achieved and where they will then lead.
Her challenge includes using the number 8, for various reasons, as the basis of her daily posts and whilst discussing this she mentioned not wanting to simply have lists of (8) things. I understand this completely, part of challenging yourself is to avoid the easy stuff that you already know you can do.
But then I started thinking about lists.
I realise I really LIKE lists. Not just the ones I write myself, with the express purpose of crossing things off them, but also the Top 10 lists every other website seems to have. I enjoy them because of where they lead.
I have mentioned before my love of curiosity and curious people (people who are curious, as well as people I am curious about) and, as long as you avoid obvious clickbait trying to sell you stuff, or celebrity gossip (trying to sell you stuff…) then lists of what other people think are the best films, chocolates, ways to beat depression or houseplants to promote well-being, can lead on to discoveries that can actually help or entertain you.
Below are some of the lists I have read and a gratuitous hamster meme:
- 6 Simple Steps for mindful eating
- How to protect your free time from other people
- The best cheese references pop culture has to offer
Photo credit: https://www.picloco.com/thisonesite
The Errant Moon 
On my person at all times:
1. Daily list of what must be done
2. Daily list of what should be done
3. Affirmations
4. List of five-year goals
5. Bucket list
6. List of my shortcomings to be eroded
a. Mental/Educational/Spiritual/Confidence
b. Physical/Musical/Crafts
c. Professional
7. List of things I recently learned
8. List of things I am recently grateful for
9. List of things to look forward to ~ Vacations,Debt-free day,TV show
10. List of people
a. last time contacted
b. how often they must be contacted
c. relationship quality waxing or waning
d. current melodramas
Thank you for the list links. I love a good springboard for discussions.
Wow! That’s a very comprehensive list of list..I’m impressed! (Do you get as much satisfaction from crossing them off as creating them?)
Thanks for your kind words. Uh-huh I get tingles when I cross through an item with my sharpie. I love a good list – my own or others but I hatehatehate making lists. Any admin make me so unhappy but my life would fail without lists keeping me honest. Do you have a list of topics for blogs? Do you have a particular favorite list?
I have notes on topics but I don’t have a list for blog posts, I’m not that organised! I have lists for work, otherwise nothing would get done, but I think my favourite list is my Bucket List. I love crossing things off it, because it feels like I’m achieving things in my life, but I also love adding to it because it means I’m still interested enough in life to find new things to do!
Do you have a favourite out of yours? (I am intrigued by the ‘current melodramas’ subsection of your People list!)
I showed a friend once my List of People and gosh they were not happy. They said it was bats and not in a good way. I keep a list of everyone, family, besties, clients, men, everyone. It has the contact details. Then I update it every time I meet up, with the date and how the meeting went. I record if the relationship is on the up, or falling off or pretty much the same. I keep a record of how often I need to see each person to keep them happy, or to make the relationship tick-over, or to improve the relationship. I have to see family once a month, or they get riled. Then I have bulletpoints of topics to avoid, or gossip they loved or sometimes when I’ve said that I love baseball when maybe I don’t. Don’t talk about Boy X he’s with SB now. Just lost job – looking in real estate – talk about ‘the economy’. Only eating salad – mention new Chilis opening. Maybe it is bats but I couldn’t live without it. If it fell into the wrong hands my life would be over, although the worst stuff is in code. Shouldn’t keep it on paper but I don’t trust facebook and all those.
Yay bucketlists! Was writing a blog on your bucketlist? I think you are doing a beautiful job.
It sounds to me like you get a huge amount of comfort and peace of mind from your lists, that’s not bats, that’s self care! The idea that you can go back and check dates of last meetings, what someone enjoys and whether you need to give them more or less attention is brilliant, talk about taking the pressure off your memory (and mine is terrible). I think your system is genius.
My blog wasn’t on my bucket list, but it probably should have been…writing it is one of my self care routines and I appreciate the compliment 🙂