Oryx
CoquettishCat
- 13,184
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Age 31
- Seen Jan 30, 2015
Lists are a beautiful thing. They may seem like the most basic organizational tool available to humans, but their versatility has often cured the feeling of being overwhelmed and lost in everything I have to do. Lists can be the most simple of things:
1. Buy Milk
2. Pick up Mail
3. Go Home
But lists can also help through serious circumstances. A big issue with problems that happen in your own life is that because you're too emotionally invested, it's hard to see what you can do, and easy to feel overwhelmed. Lists give that an air of objectivity, and when one sits down and writes a list of what they need to do in what order, even that's cathartic.
Earlier this summer, I felt in over my head. I had letters I had to write to my school. I had financial aid papers that were late that I still had to complete. I was looking for a job every day, and trying to work out my vacation at the same time. I was sinking fast in all the work that the summer brings, and I got to the point where you're so lost that it's very tempting to just say "screw it" and not do anything. But instead, I made a list.
1. Write letters to school
2. Finish financial aid forms
3. Follow up on jobs
4. Talk about vacation with boyfriend
But this list didn't help me in the least. I looked at all the letters I had to write, the forms I had to complete, the dozens of jobs I had to call, and felt daunted by even completing one task on the list. So...I split it up more.
1. Write first letter to school
2. Write second letter to school
3. Finish CSS Profile forms
4. Finish IDOC forms
5. Mail IDOC forms
6. Call top three jobs
7. Call top 10 jobs
8. Choose an airport for vacation
9. Choose a time for vacation
10. Buy tickets for vacation
Suddenly, that list got a whole lot longer, but every piece of it got easier. Write one letter? Yeah, I can do that! So that's one thing crossed off my list. While I'm doing things, why don't I choose an airport? That's not hard at all. Within a week I was done with my list and feeling much better about myself and what I managed to accomplish. I was no longer overwhelmed, because everything I could do to help my situation was spelled out in black and white on the page.
I'm not sure really why I was thinking about this today, but it popped into my head how I usually deal with my problems. I'm a list abuser I guess, but it gives you the little thrill of success every time you finish a number, while giving you a clear idea of what you have left to do. There's really no better way to fix what's bothering you, imo.
1. Buy Milk
2. Pick up Mail
3. Go Home
But lists can also help through serious circumstances. A big issue with problems that happen in your own life is that because you're too emotionally invested, it's hard to see what you can do, and easy to feel overwhelmed. Lists give that an air of objectivity, and when one sits down and writes a list of what they need to do in what order, even that's cathartic.
Earlier this summer, I felt in over my head. I had letters I had to write to my school. I had financial aid papers that were late that I still had to complete. I was looking for a job every day, and trying to work out my vacation at the same time. I was sinking fast in all the work that the summer brings, and I got to the point where you're so lost that it's very tempting to just say "screw it" and not do anything. But instead, I made a list.
1. Write letters to school
2. Finish financial aid forms
3. Follow up on jobs
4. Talk about vacation with boyfriend
But this list didn't help me in the least. I looked at all the letters I had to write, the forms I had to complete, the dozens of jobs I had to call, and felt daunted by even completing one task on the list. So...I split it up more.
1. Write first letter to school
2. Write second letter to school
3. Finish CSS Profile forms
4. Finish IDOC forms
5. Mail IDOC forms
6. Call top three jobs
7. Call top 10 jobs
8. Choose an airport for vacation
9. Choose a time for vacation
10. Buy tickets for vacation
Suddenly, that list got a whole lot longer, but every piece of it got easier. Write one letter? Yeah, I can do that! So that's one thing crossed off my list. While I'm doing things, why don't I choose an airport? That's not hard at all. Within a week I was done with my list and feeling much better about myself and what I managed to accomplish. I was no longer overwhelmed, because everything I could do to help my situation was spelled out in black and white on the page.
I'm not sure really why I was thinking about this today, but it popped into my head how I usually deal with my problems. I'm a list abuser I guess, but it gives you the little thrill of success every time you finish a number, while giving you a clear idea of what you have left to do. There's really no better way to fix what's bothering you, imo.