Organizational Relief with Lists: ListPlanIt.com

I’ve always made lists. I’ve even been made fun because of my list making. Still, I’m undeterred. Having a list (or a few) helps me manage all the thoughts running through my head. It’s liberating, a weight lifted from not having to remember. If it’s written down, it’s almost as good as done. Almost.

Have you noticed how lists are everywhere and can apply to everything in our lives? Like mundane “HoneyDo” list to “1000 Places to See Do Before You Die” or the Facebook “25 Random Things About Me” lists (I didn’t play on that one) or the infinite variety of top 10 lists… We live by lists.

But still, I’m not an extreme list maker. Groceries, travel, back-to-school, weekend errands, holiday gift lists… you know, the usual.  I’ve heard of some compulsive list makers. Ones that make a master list of all their lists. Oy! I just want to stay organized… So, it’s good to know that there are people like Jennifer Tankersley, a professional list maker if we can call her that, who launched ListPlanIt in 2007 out of her own need to get organized.

She has since created over 350 ready-made and printable lists, checklists, calendars and planners to help us become more efficient and organized. It’s all there, in all necessary categories. Even lists that you never thought you needed like a home inventory list, around-the-house project lists, seasonal planners, meal planners, financial management lists, memories records, moving lists (I’m going to be needing those soon)…

I like that all the planning work has been done and all I have to do is to check boxes and cross off items. There is something inherently satisfying in doing that. Even more satisfying is the fact that ListPlanIt’s lists are built as PDF documents that you can easily fill out on your computer or print out to fill out by hand. The forms are printer-friendly too, minimizing on ink use.

You can subscribe to ListPlanIt for unlimited use with a 3 month ($9.95) or 12 month ($29.95) membership or you can buy the individual ePlanners for $4.95 each. A great deal when you calculate all the time you will save by getting things done.

By the way, should you not be a list person but still appreciate the fine art of organization and time management, you may want to try Jott.com, a wonderful service that assists you to jot down thoughts and reminders via your phone. Really. I wrote about it here almost two years ago. The service has since become a pay-for-play with lots more features. Still love it.

For all my skeptical friends, I’m sure that there is a book out there (or at least several articles) to confirm the added psychological and emotional benefits of making lists. Make fun all you want. I’m off to make a list of people who need to read this…