List this, list that

The Psychology Behind Our List Obsession

In 1927, psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik discovered something curious when she first noticed that waiters seemed to remember orders only so long as the order was in the process of being served, not once it was finished and therefore a complete task.

Meaning, when it comes to our productivity, our brains are more likely to remember unfinished tasks than finished ones (an extension of negativity bias). This Zeigarnik Effect means your brain is constantly nagging you about what needs to be done, unless you write it down. Writing them down quiets the mental chatter.

On Paper and Out of Mind

Discovered by Psychologists EJ Masicampo and RF Baumeister, dumping to-dos on paper frees up brain space because after making the list, our brain does not have to keep them in our immediate memory and this has a calming effect that can boost your clear-headedness and focus.

Sure, sometimes it feels guilty taking time to make the lists because yes, shouldn't we just do the things instead? But crossing stuff off? That's actually a healthy coping mechanism for some of us, even if it's a borderline obsession,

for some of us.

No judgement here.

Some facts About To-do Lists

These facts are a collected from an online survey, later turned into a book, by answers from six hundred people.

83% prefer pen and paper—the pleasure of crossing things off cannot be underestimated. And people often feel more accountable when a list is in their own handwriting. Pen and paper forever.

29% code parts of their lists.

Half of us have admitted to writing down tasks we already finished just so we can triumphantly cross them off. Guilty? Me, yes. You know you've done it too. We all have.

66% cross out tasks, 21% check them, 4% write an "X," and 5% do nothing at all (let it be).

96% say lists improve life; 89% enjoy making them; 28% call themselves obsessive listmakers.

Reality check

iDoneThis research says 41% of list items never get done, half finish same-day, and only 15% of what we accomplish was even on our list to begin with–85% of real accomplishments weren't even listed.

To-do Lists or procrastination lists?

Lists don't particularly tell us when to do things so we naturally go for the quick wins over the important stuff for the quick satisfaction and procrastinate on the bigger stuff. And let it become a bigger stress than before.

The stuff all those unfinished items may or may not stress us out through the same Zeigarnik Effect that made us create the list.

It's a whole loop. And the problem is mostly how we use the lists, not the lists themselves. We overload them, prioritize poorly, and mistake looking busy for actually doing –when the goal is being productive.

The verdict

Lists aren't going anywhere as they make lots of lives easier– by calming us physically and psychologically, organizing, visualising what we have in our brains, leaving written evidence for literally anything, and giving us a sense of control when things feel a little chaotic.

So, keep making lists. Add some color, doodling, or whatever else to make it more fun and/or helpful in your own way.

Here are some random lists to make,

Joy lists for rough days, a series of lists documenting glimmers of joy throughout the day.

List of overheard conversations, snippets that that caught your attention

List of posters you saw in the day that caught your attention

List of things you changed your mind about, opinions or beliefs that evolved not because they’re necessarily wrong, just things that no longer fit.

A list of future gifts, a list of potential gifts (for any occasion) is a hands-down life saver.

Here’s a book recommendation to see how much, and what, your lists reveal about you. You’ll probably also find tons of inspiration for your future lists.

To-do list book by Sacha Cagen https://www.sashacagen.com/to-do-list-book/