If you're a list-maker, what do you make lists of, and what do you do with them? (a revived question)

I’m a Virgo and lists are made. Shopping, Christmas gifts, places to go on vacation…. meals to make next week.

* Things to do (housework, errands, phone calls, plans)

* Things to buy (groceries, presents)

* Things to pack (I end up packing mountains of stuff, but never forget anything)

* Things which will make me happy (to get my spirits up when I’m feeling down)

* Things I want to teach my dogs (the puppy needs to learn not to run into the street)

* Things I want to read/watch/check out (many items on this list come from Fluther)

* Things I want to show my students (videos, cartoons I liked, Fluther threads)

* Things the kids I know say (funny, or wise)

* Things I can cook (for when I run out of ideas)

* Things I want for Christmas (being snowed in, most of all, but…that’s unlikely)

Most of my lists are active, I routinely add new stuff. I obey them for the most part, though it may take a while.

I don’t rip them up – I keep them for a while, to celebrate, then throw them away.

Things to do in my job and life
Research projects I want to start
Papers I want to write
Places I can get grants
Conferences I might want to attend
Renovation tasks around the house
Christmas card lists
Christmas present lists
Shopping lists
People to contact about different things
Films I want to see
Books I want to read
Places I want to go
Things to put in my suitcase when I travel
Things to do while we’re on holiday

Oh no. Are we making lists of lists now?

Yes! :-) I forgot to say what I do with them.

Some I cross off (to-do lists/renovation tasks etc.). Others I keep (Christmas Card/present, places I can get grants and the like). My to-do list is a work-of-art. It’s colour-coded and every month I re-do it. I keep the lists and use them to produce my performance review documents at the end of the year. It reminds me of everything I’ve done.

I am quite good at making a list of things to do and never doing them.

I write lists now and then in my personal life. At work I keep a running list on a steno pad.

Back to my personal life lists; the general rule is I write them when it’s a must that specific things get done on a particular day and I have more than three to accomplish. After about three I worry I’ll forget one. I also sometimes write grocery lists, especially if my husband has some special requests or I’m out of something or if I need ingredients for a special recipe.

@Jeruba Should I have commas before each “or” in the last sentence above? I had a professor who taught us not to put commas when it’s used multiple times like that.

More than anything I think writing it all down helps me organize it all in my head, even if I don’t look back at the list.

I keep a moleskin and note every cent I spend. That goes into a spreadsheet. And then I look at things and figure out if that KitKat was worth it it (It wasn’t)

But I do this to make fun. If I shave a few dollars off everyday I can shift money to things like hotels on the beach and awesome Christmases for my sisters kids.

I am always making lists. In fact, that is probably why Stephen Spielberg cast me as Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List. I said, ‘Stephen, I make lists all the time’. And he said, ‘That is exactly what I am looking for.’

I’m glad I read the revival question first, because I would have answered with the same answer I used more than two years ago: pocketmod.

I no longer print out anything from the pocketmod page (the variously formatted forms for calendars, note-taking, shopping lists, to-do lists, etc. I just grab a piece of unlined paper, make the partial cut along the center fold and then make the “special” folds to make it a handy little 8-page notebook that fits in a shirt pocket. I use those for free-form notes, jotting down dates, quotations, websites, etc. (when the computer isn’t handy or my phone isn’t a better option – and it’s usually not), AND shopping lists. Three weeks to a month later when my 8 pages are full, I simply invert it and use the other side.

Things to do that day
Homework problems I’m going to do
Groceries
Items I need from the store
Places I’ve been
Summaries
Lists…

I love lists.

I’ve always made to-do lists but now in my older age I HAVE to make them because my memory has gotten so lousy.

I don’t even remember making the above comment!

Lists of stores to go to and things to buy.

At work: Lists of people to call back or things to do.

For Black Friday: Lists of sites to check out, in lieu of going to the stores. Also, for Cyber Monday.

I have lists of passwords—the most important lists. I also keep shopping lists for the grocery store. I will, occasionally write to do lists, but my wife keeps a half dozen of those at all times, so there’s really no reason for me to. She keeps me apprised of my honey-dos every morning!

When I travel, list of what to bring.