I’m a list maker. I have a list for everything. There’s my To Do List and my What I Really Have To Do List. And then there’s the Someday I’ll get to This List. There’s a list for gift ideas for my family. A list of things to write about. A list of things to buy. A grocery list. A list of my lists. A list of my passwords. Even my own business concept started on a list of things I wanted to do someday. (As an aside, we recently embraced a new project management software system at KMC that is list-based, which is so exciting for me!) You get the idea. I love a good list. So, naturally, when my daughter gifted me with a book called “The 52 Lists Project: A Year of Weekly Journaling Inspiration,” I couldn’t wait to get started!
But, when I did, I realized I didn’t have the answers for these lists. This was hard. This was a book of lists about me and things I like, lists of how I like to have fun, lists of my favorite movie and book characters, lists of my favorite music genres, lists of things that help me relax and so on! Turns out, I’ve been so busy being a mom, wife, business owner, daughter, sister and friend, that somewhere in that mix, I forgot to be me. Don’t get me wrong. I love every hat I wear and the things that have monopolized my lists of late. For instance:
How I like to have fun:
When it comes to fun, I have lots of fun – fun with my family and doing the things they love! It’s fun to watch my kids enjoy their favorite things, whether it’s softball, basketball, volleyball, golf, art, Homecoming float chair, etc. We also have tons of fun going on vacations together–can anyone say Disney? And, I even have fun at work! We work hard, but in the mix we laugh a lot!
Lists of my favorite movies and/or books:
I love a good movie and definitely have my favorites, but I have also watched a lot of Disney, i.e., “Lion King,” “Cars” and Hanna Montana movies; shoot ‘em up movies; and even some musicals, such as High School Musical! And, at KMC Events, we often watch movies for inspiration. My notable recent favorites include “The Grinch,” “Elf,” “The Great Gatsby” and “Spider-Man”!
And when it comes to books, I’ve always loved “Giraffes Can’t Dance,” “Goodnight Moon,” “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” and Dr. Seuss anything and everything. My tattered and well-worn AP Stylebook will tell you it’s one of my favorites! And, recently, I received a book at work – “Grammar: Know Your $h*t or Know You’re $h*t!” I love it!
My favorite music genre:
And, music, forget it. I have no personal taste in music. It appears I like what my children play on Spotify. I even find myself searching their playlists for something to listen to. At the office, we recently installed Alexa and the genre there changes daily depending on who gets to the office first and tells her what to play! I am even beginning to like some of the 90s genre!
What helps me relax:
And, finally, I don’t even know helps makes me relax! Probably putting my endless lists together! With everything in its place and on the proper list, I can then finally relax – or get to work on one of my lists!
So what do my lists do for me? If you are a list maker, you probably understand! They help me compartmentalize my thoughts, my actions and my desires. As I navigate these 52 lists from my book, I am discovering more about me every day! And, while it’s hard and sometimes tough to answer some of the questions, I am discovering that me is usually we – whether it’s at home or at work! When you love what you do and who you do life with, your lists will reflect that! Mine do!