Did you ever see that old movie, MY DINNER WITH ANDRE? In it, two artsy types share a meal. That's what the movie is--the whole movie: a dinner with Andre. Andre, tall, skinny and intense, talks about how hopeless life is, how there's nothing to look forward to. The other guy--plump and goodnatured--Wally, I think was his name, argued that he got a certain everyday satisfaction from making lists and doing the tasks on the list and then checking the tasks off the list.
I'm so Wally. I keep a clipboad on my desk. It holds a stack of lined sheets of paper. I love to fill a lined sheet with "things to do." You know...
--Renew Drivers License
--Wash towels
--update website
--shred
--organize book closet
--file
--J&M info 2 M&D
--wash windows
I love crossing out the tasks when I accomplish them. I cross out with yellow hilighter. A life coach I once had years ago called that "giving yourself the sunshine." Corny? Oh yes! Satisfying? Even more so.
While I was writing the most recent book, the list kept getting longer and longer. But last week, I finished that book and sent it off to my publisher. I've been giving myself the sunshine ever since. My list could almost be all sunshined up.
But then, there's always something more to add. Plus, I hate washing windows. I'm avoiding that one. Even getting the sunshine isn't enough to tempt me to get to work with my rags and Windex. Thus, my list is forever incomplete. I rather like that.
Do you make lists? Do you find them satisfying...?
