I’ve been thinking about lists recently. It began at the personal development course I attended back in September (stepping off point for Potential Not Possession). We were talking about being effective and I attributed my “productivity issues” to the fact that I’m not a list maker. I can’t even make a “to do” list without getting distracted before making it to item 5. Someone even admitted to putting things on their lists when they were already complete tasks, just for the pleasure of ticking them off. I’m not that person. Ticks just don’t do it for me, although as addictions go, I guess it’s harmless enough.
Thoughout my life I’ve watched my brother Martin, co-founder of Thinkers, make lists and then do what’s on them. It started at school with his O’Level revision timetable and has gone on ever since. Martin’s wife, Lucy, balances a career as a consultant anesthetist with motherhood, being a school govenor, and running research projects to boot. Her lists are divided into the quadrants of her life. Jenny Ollerenshaw, publisher at Advance Materials, (with whom I’m currently working) is a “lister” par excellence and in common with many start-up founders, she carries an astonishing workload ranging from designing original, innovative pedagogical materials to putting out the mailbags. I’m envious of all of these people’s achievements, and I’m sure that their lists are an integral component of success. “So”, I asked back in September, “Why can’t I?
But since then, the tide’s been turning (gradually). Jenny put me on to the ToDo app which is now on my iPad (curses, why did I buy a Samsung phone and not an iPhone?). All was going swimmingly until I left my iPad (which I was reading a book on) beside the bed in London. Not much use here in Caxton.
I experienced a small epiphany during an email exchange with a friend in which I summarised what we’d each learned from a conversation. I realised then I’ve also been making lists all my life in the letters I write. They’re just not “to do” lists. In letters and emails I often list what I’ve learned and what could be done as a result. They’re macro lists not micro lists.
Yesterday, thanks to @euan & @tomcoates on Twitter I discovered the wonderful web site Lists of Note (featuring on that occasion David Ogilvy’s wonderful instructions on how to write, addressed to staff of his eponymous agency). I’ve been having a rummage around this site: there’s inspiration for several lifetimes of story writing lurking in its hyperlinks. Take Johnny Cash’s wonderful set of goals for a day. Or jazz pianist Theolonius Monk’s Advice. What I’ve discovered is that list’s aren’t boring. They aren’t conformist. They aren’t (always) for ticking (though I’m not attempting to stop Martin, Lucy and Jenny). No – lists – my friends, are an art form all of their own, and like all expressive arts, they’re different in the hands of every artist.
I’m converted and I’m off to practice my craft…
PS. This post is dedicated to @hdawson41. She’ll know why