The wonderlist

Unending tasks, holiday homeworks, daily chores or goals for the year — everything can become less overwhelming and more delighting if they are scheduled in a list, writes Shwetha Surendran, while she gives you pointers to maintain the perfect list

CHENNAI: Do you remember the time before everything got very dystopic? And then a little before? Well, I remember the days in which math holiday homework was the bane of my existence. Not math; just the homework that came with it every summer break.

Cue the tantrums, a million excuses and ever so often, the nightmare I woke up from in the early hours of the morning, drenched in sweat, where I didn’t complete the assignment on time (straight As student problems, probably).

To quell this anxiety, I turned to the beauty of structured simplicity that is list-making; et voila, here we are many moons later, where I’m, in simple words, making a list on how to make the perfect list. There isn’t a day that goes by, which I don’t deconstruct into a schedule or a list, and while you’re in quarantine, maybe it’s an activity that might make your day a lot more productive, and a lot less anxious too. And yes, it’s an art form, so listen close!

1.KEEP IT SIMPLE
Every listmaker’s guide to making a list will begin with this cardinal rule of listing — KEEP IT SIMPLE. Ideally, lists should help in calming some of the chaos of daily life and not necessarily become a part of it. So make the tasks as straightforward and doable as they can be.

2.MAKE JUST ONE FOR THE DAY

While pro listers will have master lists and more, an excellent place to start is one daily to-do list. Firstly, this will ensure zero confusion with prioritising your tasks and secondly, prevent you from getting overwhelmed.

3.BREAK IT DOWN

As simple as you word your tasks, breaking them down into their bare essential is vital. Making a list of simple tasks such as doing the dishes and washing your hands can be very motivational in tackling the bigger ones on the list.

4.SPRINKLE IN SOME NUMBERS

If you’re especially feeling yourself today, then why not throw in some time limits on the tasks as well. It’s like a fun competition with yourself. Ample time restrictions such as 10 pm-11 pm: Grocery Shopping, can push you to get things done instead of spending hours staring at the snacks in the store. 

5.ACCOUNT FOR BUFFER TIME

Buffer time is my Secret Sauce to list-making. When the time is 3.13 pm, or 5.17 am or numbers that our mind doesn’t like, it just doesn’t seem like the right time to do stuff. So plan into your timed list, 15-20
minutes of buffer time because it’s okay to be kind to yourself.

6.WRITE IT DOWN

I want to say that writing lists on phones are blasphemous, but I do it, so instead, I’m going to phrase it
as — pick your medium (HINT: Paper! I love it, so you love it too) There’s little in life more satisfying than writing a list on paper and then scoring it through, once it’s done. The sound, the touch and the feeling of achievement are unparalleled.

7.THROW IN SOME STARS

After you jot your tasks down, prioritising is critical. Make little symbols or colour code the tasks that
are the most important and focus on getting them done. I draw one star for must, two stars for important, three stars for... you get the point. 

8.PICK A TIME

Pick a time in your day when you can sit down and make your list. The good thing is you can keep adding more tasks, and prioritising their importance as the day goes on.

9.KNOW WHEN TO STOP

As much as I could keep listing on making the perfect list, also key to a good list is knowing when to stop. Take a realistic look at what you can get done and stop at that. Even if it means stopping a list such as this one, at 9 points instead of the wholeness of 10.

IN MOM’S FOOTSTEPS

At a young age, I took to lists watching my mother, who often used her wrists as a note-pad. Bake Shwetha a cake? No problem. It just ended up on her wrist, I mean, list. Or even better, her wrist list! You can trust me when I say that if my mother is any proof of how lists help, I’ve just handed you the key to a good life.