A list of the advantages of lists to organize yourself, set priorities, and cope with overload

In the May 2011 Harvard Business Review, one article (at 85) argues that the biggest roadblock to work productivity is that “People don’t capture stuff that has their attention.” They commit to do something, “but they don’t write it down and it goes into a black hole.” Worse, they don’t determine the goal they want to achieve or the next action to take toward that goal. If you create a list you understand better the lay of your work land, you pick more wisely which task on the to-do list is most important to tackle, and you haul to earth the free-floating anxiety that manifests itself as feeling overwhelmed. “Your head is for having ideas, not holding them.” Workers of the world, create lists!

So, dutifully, I have listed my blog posts on lists (See my post of April 8, 2005: distribute a to-do list after a meeting; April 18, 2005: the power of to-do lists; Nov. 7, 2007: relieve stress with prioritized lists; Jan. 8, 2008: 8 ways to organize tasks to be done; Oct. 10, 2008: tools to help set and follow priorities; Jan. 6, 2011: write down and attack the six most important tasks you face; and June 26, 2008: priorities with 6 references.).