26 May 2007

Put it in writing!

I find that making a mental list just isn't as effective as writing things down. There's some sort of "magic" about writing things down that helps make them happen. Possibly this is because to write them down you have to overcome your laziness, even in a small way, and this gets the process of action rolling.
Or it could be that once your thoughts are out of your head and visible ... hmm, what happens? In the case of lists of things to do, it's like you're getting instructions from someone else rather than "just"(!) yourself. In the case of "morning pages" or other journalling, getting those thoughts out of your head leaves room for the thoughts you actually want to think.
In between writing the list and getting up to find the camera and take a pic, three items "magically" got done. It works.
Some people have notebooks where they keep their lists all organised and in the same place - but give me the back of an envelope and I'm happy.

2 comments:

artmixter said...

I write down the list, I lose the envelope...but it all gets done. I'm sure the magic is just in the focus.

The Idaho Beauty said...

What might seem overwhelming in your head sometimes doesn't look so bad when relegated to paper. Plus having that written list to refer to keeps me, at least, from needlessly treading water wondering what it is I'm supposed to be doing. ;-)