The Power of Lists

 Recently we lost a dear uncle. One of my dad’s two remaining brothers. He left behind my cousin, who is having to deal with everything on her own, as she has no partner to share the burden. Suffering from anxiety and grieving the loss of her dad, it is a stressful time. Everyone has an opinion and everyone is telling her what she should do or consider.

Things were quickly approaching an overload situation. The feeling of being overwhelmed. The tsunami that you can see rapidly approaching but are powerless to stop.

I used to have an old boss who had a pet saying. When you are up to your armpits in alligators, it’s only then you remember you should have drained the swamp. It's a timely reminder to get back to basics, which are easy to overlook when fighting off alligators with sharp teeth. 

And what is the simple activity that will save you? It's creating a list. Make several lists. Prioritise them, rewrite them, add to them, scribble them out when you're finished, and save the important notes. As David Allen says in his GTD methodology, get it out of your head and onto paper or your preferred electronic device. It doesn't matter how you capture it; just make sure it's written down in one place only. This is crucial. Don’t write your lists on multiple Post-it notes or random pieces of paper that don’t relate to one another and can get lost.

Sometimes the simplest of things can have a profound impact. For my cousin, it quickly brought calm and clarity. It quickly restored my cousin's sense of calm. It is still a difficult time, but her anxiety is subsiding, and she feels more in control.

It can do the same for you. 

Next time you are feeling lost and struggling to survive, don’t despair. Grab your notebook of choice and start making lists.