The first list I made was my timetable, which gave me a headache and left me with very little time to sleep while I was 14. Since then, I’ve learned a couple of things about making lists, like :

Don’t make one, if you’re making it under pressure.

To-do lists aren’t always made by people who wish to live a peaceful, casual life. The society that we live in has a vicious cycle of expectations; starting at our birth to our death, and sometimes, even to our afterlives.

Go to school – excel in Maths and extracurriculars alike – be constantly compared and pressurised to compete – do well in 10^th – do well in 12^th –  graduate – find a job – get married- settle down – have a kid or two – die – do not haunt.

Everything needs to go according to the plan. And if, god forbid, one does not have a plan or a job at 25, they’re a failure. To add to it all, every contact you have with another human being gives rise to another set of expectations and responsibilities.

Try a Specfic To-do list which says :

1. Buy cereals and veggies.
2. Pick up clothes from dry cleaners.
3. Go to the spa before the coupon expires.

Any other lists are not the lists worth making. The other list which is important and drives you positively is your Bucket List.

Bucket Lists :

Plans made while you’re drunk are not to be put on your Bucket List. Let your life thrive on spontaneity; get that matching tattoo with your girlfriends while you’re drunk, put your laser removal or cover up tattoo on your list. Better yet, don’t look at it and act surprised when someone points out your bad taste. Put believable and practical things on your list.

Bungee jumping? Why not!

Globetrotting? If you have enough savings, then why not!

Becoming the president of the United States of America? What? Why?

Procrastinator’s List

Each New Year starts with people making a mental list of goals they want to achieve in that year like shedding a few kilos, reading some more, going on a walk everyday, giving up on that one bad habit they have and quitting the job that won’t let you catch a break. Almost everyone is surrounded by people who, at least unknowingly, say something they want to start in January, while they are still in the middle of December. Why make a To-do list and procrastinate when you can jump head-first into a spontaneous decision?  Want to hit the gym? Do it on a Tuesday in the middle of October. Want to cut off that one friend who’s negative vibes make you stumble and fall? Do it on a 22nd in the middle of the year. Don’t wait for a Monday, the first day of the month, or a New Year to do what you want to do. Planning on asking for a raise, do it the next day. Want to start job hunting, Do it right away. It’s easier said than done, I know, and then we crib about adult life being complicated and about how being a 10 year old was better than being a 28 year old. But isn’t it we who complicate our lives, with our expectations on other people, pressure to show results and with the To-do lists on our notepads or inside our heads?’

Let’s not put ‘getting the dream job’ or ‘finding love’ in our checklists or To-do lists. Let it come whenever it comes. Let’s just sit back, relax, and focus on our inner peace, shall we?

So, what I’d like to say is :

1. Don’t make one, if you’re making it under pressure.

2. Stress over a list you make seeking worldly pleasure? That’s the worst!

3. Don’t be tied down by your responsibilities towards anyone but you.

4. Take charge of steering your own path.

5. Be the one to start simplifying your life by embracing the little things.

But, if you absolutely have to have a To-do list in order to function:

Gift yourself a Planner!

This is the only and most important thing when it comes to making any kind of lists. If you absolutely need a To-do list, you definitely need a planner. Planners are your basic yet hassle-free way to keep it all together, unless you leave your planner in a heap of things and your mother gives those away to scrap dealers. Then you have problems.

Do’s and Don’ts :

1. Call me old-school when I say this, but the pen is mightier than tech. Write down your goals and strike out the milestones as you go. The joy in striking out or scribbling over words is not the same as that of backspacing words. Also, if you leave a book and a phone unattended, no prize for guessing what may possibly get robbed.
2. Don’t write on those plain Jane planners. Gift yourself something appealing and make your lists with any colored pens you find in the market, but black and blue.
3. Don’t let the lists you make stress you out,