I am a big fan of putting things in writing (which I suppose is a good thing for a writer!). Seriously, though, I live and die by my to-do lists. When I was in school, I had my homework pad as my constant companion with all the projects that I needed to get done listed along with the date that they were due.
When I started working full-time, I had my notebook always near my desk with its lengthy list of things that needed to get done. I always took great delight in crossing things off of my list. It gave me the feeling that I was being productive and had accomplished things in my day.
When I had my first child, I brought the to-do list home. Suffering from "mommy-brain" and sleep-deprivation, about the only things I could remember to do were to get David changed, fed, and bathed. I had to start putting the simplest things down on the list such as "start the dishwasher" and "do the laundry" or else they wouldn't get done. Thankfully, five years down the road, I can once again remember to do these basic tasks, but I still have my to-do lists.
My calendar hanging on the refrigerator tells me where everyone needs to be when – it is invaluable. As soon as a time commitment is made, it goes on the calendar. If it does not, it is almost guaranteed to be forgotten.
As I work from home, I also have my to-do list next to my computer with all of my work-related tasks and projects I am working on. As soon as some new task comes my way, it goes on the list. Getting it in writing gets it off my brain. I only have to worry about it when it is time to work, freeing up valuable brain space for other thoughts and activities!
