The Power of List Making with Dana Dealy-Reid

2 Apr

In today's Episode, my good friend Dana Dealy-Reid joins the Mindful Productivity Podcast to discuss the power of list making. From the benefits of lists, types of lists, and ways to stay more organized, there really isn't much about lists we don't cover.

Mastering Productivity with Lists: Creative and Practical List-Making Ideas

Welcome to another productivity deep dive! Today, we’re exploring a game-changing strategy for organization and mindfulness: list-making. I had the pleasure of chatting with my friend Dana, a self-proclaimed list enthusiast. Dana’s expertise in list-making extends far beyond basic to-dos, transforming the way she approaches daily life, projects, and even self-care. Whether you’re aiming to organize household chores or create a “Consciously Curated Life” list, this guide has you covered.

Why Lists Are More Than Just To-Dos

For many, lists may begin with simple tasks or reminders. But Dana introduced me to a broader approach: using lists to track meaningful experiences, support mental clarity, and even boost creativity. Lists can ground you, helping you process ideas and emotions by capturing thoughts on paper or digitally. The benefits of list-making are multifold—it brings clarity, structure, and a sense of accomplishment as you check things off.

Types of Lists to Consider

Dana and I both agreed that while basic to-do lists are essential, there are endless ways to use lists creatively and practically in our lives. Here are some favorites:

Creative Bucket Lists: Think beyond “to-do” by creating lists that bring joy and inspiration. Dana has a list called “Consciously Curated Life” that includes new experiences she wants to try, such as visiting a sensory deprivation float tank.
Reference Lists for Quick Decisions: Whether it’s a list of quick meal ideas or go-to snacks, having a reference list saves time and reduces decision fatigue.
Success and Gratitude Lists: Tracking small wins or moments of gratitude can help us stay motivated and appreciate our accomplishments. Gretchen Rubin calls this a “Ta-Da List”—noting down achievements, no matter how small, to celebrate what’s been done rather than focusing on what’s left to do.
Emergency Self-Care Kits: Create a list of items that bring comfort and joy—like chocolate, a cozy blanket, or a favorite book—to keep handy for those stressful days. Dana even has a self-care list on Trello titled “Dana’s Rules for a Happy Life,” which she refers to when needing a mental reset.
Auto-Tasks for Household Chores: Dana recommends organizing routine tasks, like washing the water bottle every Saturday or backing up your phone monthly. A regular schedule minimizes mental clutter, allowing more brain space for things that matter.
Future Me Lists: Lists don’t only serve the present; they can remind us of our values and dreams in the future. Try writing a list for your future self. You might capture your favorite books, favorite tea blends, or key goals you’re working on. FutureMe.org allows you to send these lists to yourself years down the line!

Digital List-Making Tools

Digital tools like Trello, Todoist, and Evernote bring lists to life in a portable, customizable way. Dana recommends using Trello for reference lists and Todoist for its gamification feature, where you earn points each time you check off a task. This “Karma Points” system can make productivity more fun and rewarding.

If you’re someone who likes to include links, digital lists can be a helpful way to keep everything organized and accessible.

Beyond Tasks: Building Happiness and Balance Through Lists

List-making doesn’t have to be strictly about productivity. Lists can help capture the essence of a balanced life by focusing on moments of joy and calm. Consider creating lists like:

Books to Read: Track reading goals and progress using Goodreads, and add personalized lists such as “Books for Inspiration” or “Cozy Winter Reads.”
Joyful Moments: Dedicate a notebook to small, joyful moments you notice throughout the day—like a perfect cup of tea or a warm sunset. Over time, you’ll build a collection of happiness.

Structuring Lists for Mental Clarity

Sometimes our minds feel cluttered, and a good brain dump or “parking lot” list can help. These lists aren’t about prioritizing; they’re a place to offload ideas, random tasks, or worries. By parking them on paper or digitally, you can come back later to organize and prioritize.

Dana shared a fun tip: she uses emojis on her lists in Todoist to make the experience enjoyable, adding symbols for each category to differentiate tasks at a glance.

List-making can turn everyday chaos into a structured, balanced experience, whether on paper or through a digital app. Start with one of these list ideas, and let it help bring clarity and calm to your day.

Episode Highlights:

Sarah Steckler
You are listening to episode ten of the Mindful Productivity Podcast. In this episode, I'm talking with my good friend Dana all about listmaking ways to make lists and how to uplevel your organization and productivity game with lists. We go deep into it, and it was so much fun. But before we jump into the podcast, I wanted to go ahead and give my friend Canva a formal introduction. Dana Daily Reed is a process loving listmaking enthusiast. She's always searching for new ways to make life run more smoothly for herself and others.
Sarah Steckler
An expert in to do list software, you can often find her making lists of new places to visit around Boston and new vegan recipes. To try for more insights, you can check out the podcast archive of her show Plant Daily with Dana, available on Apple Podcast and Stitcher. Dana is a wonderful, wonderful friend of mine. She's so fun to talk to, and I can't wait for you to listen to this podcast and learn more about lists. So let's go ahead and get started.
Sarah Steckler
Welcome to the Mindful Productivity Podcast. I'm your host, Sarah Steckler, and this is the place to be to live a more mindful and productive life. If you're ready to turn daily chaos into calm and start your days with intention, then get ready to join me as we dive deep into mindful living and personal productivity. It's time to connect with your true self so you can live the life you want to live, and it all starts now.
Sarah Steckler
So, Dana, oh, my gosh, I'm so excited to talk about listmaking with you.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I'm excited, too. I love lists.
Sarah Steckler
I know. And you are someone that has taught me a lot about listmaking and just the different nuances of it. And I think it's really fun to kind of like, dive deep into a specific topic like this, because usually when I think about lists, I'm like, okay, that's cool to do lists to don't list, but I'd love to hear kind of like what some of your favorite lists are and listmaking tactics, and we can kind of just jump in.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. So I like making lists about everything. So I've been making lists, and I didn't realize that until I went back through some notebooks from when I was in high school. But I've been making lists since I was in high school all through College and my entire adult life. But it started out as like you said, just to do lists, which are kind of they can be necessary, but they're boring. But I really, like also making fun, like, new things you can do in your city. Or I have one called Consciously Curated Life.
Dana Dealy-Reid
The stuff that I feel like my life will expand if I do it like, I really want to try one of those sensory deprivation float tanks.
Sarah Steckler
Oh, my gosh. I love that list. That's so great. I actually did try floating last year, and it was crazy do you like it?
Dana Dealy-Reid
Was it good?
Sarah Steckler
I actually kind of had, like, I wouldn't say a panic attack. Okay. I'll just do a little tangent, but I'm really scared of, like, open water. And anytime I get in a pool alone, I have this really illogical fear that there's, like, a giant, great white shark in the pool with me. And so when I was in the float tank, I was, like, totally chill and relaxed because you can't feel the bottom, right? Like, you feel floating in, like, a million gallons of water. And so in a way, I was like, oh, my gosh.
Sarah Steckler
It felt like I could have been in the middle of the ocean. So there was about ten minutes where I had to talk myself down from feeling like there might be Sharks around me. It was really bizarre. I doubt that many people have that's, like, the first. Once I got past that, though, it was very thin, very nice. But I'd be careful what your experience is like when you do it.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I know I'm planning to do it next month, so I'll let you know.
Sarah Steckler
That's awesome. I always love making kind of, like, that kind of reminds me of I make a bunch of reference lists, too. Like things I need to refer to or do and not just like, ways to clean the kitchen or stuff like that. But I also like having lists where it's like things that make me happy. Or I have another one. It's like, reasons to not eat processed sugar because I have one. It's like, maybe I can find it in a second here, but it's like, because it makes you shaky and it makes you Moody, and then it makes you crave more sugar.
Sarah Steckler
I love having lists like that, too. That kind of help remind me of my why for certain decisions I want to make in my life.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah, I actually have a Trello board where I have one list that's, like, Dana's Roles for a Happy Life. And I feel better when I and I go back to those. And I'm like, I'm not feeling so great. What are these things on the list? And it's like, go outside, have a glass of water, get a workout and call a friend. But it's nice to have that just as a reminder, like you said, because, you know, it intellectually, but when you're like, in something where you're not feeling great, it's nice to have a list to go and refer to.
Sarah Steckler
Oh, my gosh. I love that, like, a list for Happy Life and see, I am like, totally. I would totally nerd out, too. And I wonder, do you ever track how often you do those things?
Dana Dealy-Reid
I don't I should. But for now, it's more of a reference list. My travel boards. I don't usually track things in except for my reading, but we can get into reading later. But Trello is mostly just, like, a reference area for me.
Sarah Steckler
So it sounds like a lot of these things that you're describing, too. They kind of remind me of, like, many very specific kind of, like bucket lists. I like that a lot.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. I haven't followed this in a long time, but I'm looking at my tulle board right now, and I have, like, a self care emergency kit, which is something that I wanted to put together. So, like, chocolate and a coloring book and a list of self care ideas, which is like a list within a list.
Sarah Steckler
Oh, my gosh, that's awesome.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. And then, like, morning routine and evening routine. Sometimes it helps me to process things if I write them into a list, even if I don't follow it later, it helps me figure out what's important to me with my morning routine or what's important to me with my evening routine. And even if I don't necessarily, then check it off every single day it helps me process through.
Sarah Steckler
I really like that I really find listmaking is really therapeutic, too. And I'm trying to remember I think there's two different blog posts I have. One is like, 25 things to do when you don't know what's wrong. And then the other one is like, 50 lists to make, like, lists of lists. And I actually found a notebook. I think it Ross or TJ Maxx or something last year, and it's a whole Journal just for listmaking. And what really made me geek out is like, the first four pages are like, lists of lists.
Dana Dealy-Reid
And I was like.
Sarah Steckler
Yes, like, List Inception.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I love that.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah. It was super awesome. So do you always, like, geeking out, too? Because I feel like you are the most organized person. This is like, the vision I have of you is that you're super organized because you're always like, well, I have to clean out my water bottle on Saturday and do this. And I'm like, oh, my gosh together. I'm like, I think I finally cleaned my water bottle and been like, well, maybe I shouldn't talk about that publicly, but it was gross. I'm so curious. Do you have lists for household stuff or how do you organize that?
Dana Dealy-Reid
I do. Yeah. So I mentioned Trello, but like I said, Trello, for me is more of a reference area. And then I used to do it as my to do list app. And for anybody out there WONDERLESS which was my go to to do list app is shutting down. And Todoist is by far, I did a lot of research, the most comparable product. And one of the things I like about to do is they give you Karma points. So every time you market task is complete, it will give you points, and then you can level up into do it.
Dana Dealy-Reid
So it gamifies it, which is really fun.
Sarah Steckler
Oh, my gosh.
Dana Dealy-Reid
That's so cool. That actually makes it better than Wanderlist, in my opinion. But yeah, I have specific reference list for cleaning and, like, weekly tasks and monthly tasks. Like, I have a monthly task the first of the month every month to back up my phone. So just in case something happens and it like falls underwater and dies, I'll at least have a recent back up. And so I back up my phone every month. I used to have it for my laptop as well, but I just automatically backed up all the time.
Dana Dealy-Reid
And yeah, the nice thing is because it's an app. You can set things for regular intervals. Like you said, every Saturday, I have washer water bottle. I could probably do it more often than that. But I know I'm not going to. So at least once a week I wash my water bottle.
Sarah Steckler
Oh, sorry. I was going to say I like to use these lists to, like, kind of as a reminder, almost like a form of a calendar or whatever to have. I have stuff like that for the house. I need to be more consistent with using it just, like, kind of like dailies, like we have, like, daily. My husband and I do it's like three things every day, and then we have it's like a printable that I have on my fridge.
Dana Dealy-Reid
And then we have.
Sarah Steckler
Like, deep clean the couch cushions, like, every quarter or do this every week. And I like, kind of marking it off. And that's another question I have for you because you mentioned that you use Trello. It sounds more kind of like as a reference type of list, but for you personally, it sounds like you like using kind of a digital form of checklist.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. So I am someone who loves to check things off of a list. It gives me a lot of satisfaction, but I do use paperless, although more recently I haven't been. I was actually just looking back through my notebook, and I used to do every weekend I would do a list of everything I needed to get done. But now I put it all in to do it, and I check it off. And sometimes there will be days where I'm like, I really want to plan out what I'm doing for the rest of the day.
Dana Dealy-Reid
But I don't want to feel like, oh, that has a due date of today because that feels very pressure. So I have a list called today. I will. And then I can just say I'll get through work and then I'm going to go home, and then I'm going to stop at the grocery store. And then I'm going to make dinner. And it's just like me planning out what I'm going to do. But not like I have to do all of this stuff. But more I was like, I would like to do all of this stuff.
Sarah Steckler
I love that. And yeah, it reminds me too, of, like, kind of the difference between to do lists and then kind of like, success list. I usually have two different lists. I'll have a list of what I want to do for the week, like, a week at a glance type of thing, and then I'll break that down into what I'm doing for that day. And then if I don't do it, I can migrate it to the next day. But I also have a list of things to do in my free time, like, whenever I have a chunk of time, which doesn't seem that often to do something.
Sarah Steckler
It's like, sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I just, like, kind of default to watching Netflix or default to playing plans versus zombies on my phone. And it's like, those are fun things, but I'm not as fulfilled. So it's nice to reference that list and be like, oh, yeah. You have a knitting project that you can get back to or there was a park you wanted to visit. So it's kind of nice to have that and also love to talk to you about just the idea of a success list and kind of writing down like, something I do every now and then.
Sarah Steckler
It's just write down everything I did in a given day, and it makes me feel really good at the end of the day because sometimes there's days where you finish up work or even a weekend and you're like, I didn't do anything like, nothing, nothing. And usually that's not true.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. So Gregson Rubin calls out a TADA list, which I think is fun because it's a play on to do list.
Sarah Steckler
Oh, I like that.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. But that is one where for me, physically writing that down with pen and paper makes so much more sense because it's like, you did it. You're not going to go back and check it off. So for that, it doesn't really make sense to have it in an app. But I actually want to start doing that more like I did it. I had one of those weekends where I was like, oh, man, I really didn't do anything. And then I did that. I wrote a success list of everything I had done that weekend, and I've done a bunch of stuff, just not necessarily the stuff that was on my to do list, and it made me feel a lot better.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah, I really like that. And one thing, too. My husband and I move a lot. And so one thing I did after our first big move was I kept kind of a success list of, like, all the things we did to move. And then it actually turned into this really awesome reference checklist. The next time we moved, and I was thinking about it, and I was like, man, I should do this with more things, like Christmas shopping or what am I doing for Thanksgiving? For example, three years ago, my husband and I went vegan.
Sarah Steckler
And the first time we did a vegan Thanksgiving, like, I had no idea what I was doing all the recipes are new, but then the last two years it was way easier because I already had a menu and I already had an ingredients list and all the directions. So it's kind of nice to as you go and do things, kind of create lists that can kind of serve as a structured outline for you in the future, too.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah, I obviously have some subscriptions and stuff like that. And I have all my subscriptions go to my credit card. And every now and then, actually, it happened quite frequently, which is why I have a list for this now bank of America would send me a new one and say your card was compromised. So we canceled your old card. And now you have this new card with a new number. And so I would have to dig through my bank statements and figure out who's charging me on a regular basis so that they don't get a decline charge when they go to auto charge me.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Right now I have a place to change your credit card list, and I can just go through it. It has not for my cable company. I have to call them. I can't do it online. So I have the phone number right there. And for other places I know it's hard for me to find the link to where to change it. So I just have the link right there. And then it's still a giant pain has to change your credit card everywhere that charges you. But it's so much faster now that I have that list that's so smart.
Sarah Steckler
And yeah, it takes out the guesswork and just the mental energy because I know for me, even just changing addresses and stuff. I have kind of something similar with our bill pay or every time you move there's like you have to change providers or you have to update everything. And so it's nice to know, like what's linked to what and just what a great idea and something I use for that. And for listmaking too. And I know you use a little bit. I'd be curious to this could be like a whole other podcast episode, but I love using Evernote for some of those reference lists and then also being able to kind of like upload images or PDFs and kind of attach things that can be a really great way to kind of boost the list that you make, too.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah, Evernote. I've gotten away from Evernote. But that list that I was just talking about does still live in Evernote, and so does my general packing list. So if we're going on a trip somewhere, it's like you need to have your travel tickets, you need to have your headphones, you need to have a book, you need to have your clothes, and I have that. And it's nice because in Evernote, you can have it be just check marks in the description, and then you can check it. And then what I do is for the packing list.
Dana Dealy-Reid
For instance, I'll check everything off when we're going, and then when we're coming back as we're packing up at the hotel, I'll Uncheck everything as a package to make sure that I didn't forget anything.
Sarah Steckler
Oh, my gosh. I love that. Yeah, that's a great way. That's another great topic, too, is like having multiple things. One thing I love doing is having lists and then having different columns for stuff, because I think sometimes too. That's where I've gotten in trouble. Like when I first started using Asana, which for anyone listening, it's like an online project management software. It's similar to Trello, but very different. You could put it in the same category, but one thing, it was like I would set due dates for different tasks or projects, and then it was like, wait, is this like when it's actually due or is this when I need to start it or is this when I want it to be done?
Sarah Steckler
So getting clear, too, on what kind of list you're making and what those dates are or is really important, too? That was like one place I got tripped up.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. And that's something where I only ever set due date. I actually don't even know if in to do it. You can set a date range, but yeah, I have mine, but it's nice because to do it has the next seven days view that you Canva look at. So I do that basically every morning I look at my next seven days and sometimes on purpose, check things off for the next few days, because then it feels like I accomplished even more than I had meant to. But yeah, that's a really good problem to talk about.
Dana Dealy-Reid
And I don't know the answer for when you know, you need to start something. I guess you can have a separate task for, like, Start XYZ project, but that's a really good thing.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah. I think just like, I guess knowing for yourself if you're working with a team, that's a whole other can of worms, like really being clear on that. But I love that. And you just reminded me, too, of there's another website that I use around Christmas time. I think it's called Gifts, Sir, I'll have to put it in the show notes, but basically it's really awesome. It's like a list making tool you can use for gifts for the holidays. I mean, you could use it for anything, but basically, people can put in their wish list.
Sarah Steckler
And what's really cool is if you can copy and paste Amazon links and it'll automatically post the image and all of that. So it was really easy the other year. We don't always do gifts for Christmas, but the other year we did. And so I just kind of put in all the books that I wanted for Christmas, and then my husband, I'm pretty sure he will order everything under the sun off of Amazon. If he could, like, if he never had to do anywhere else, he would order everything on Amazon.
Sarah Steckler
So that was really a cool thing. And then you can kind of like, share it with different people. So you can have your mom be able to see it or different members of the family. And then as different people buy different things, it'll check that off the list so that you don't get duplicates. I just love it.
Dana Dealy-Reid
That's so cool. I've never heard of that. It's basically like a registry, but just for regular holidays. I love that.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah. It's like a personal thing. And you can do links from anywhere, or you can kind of stay like a physical store it's in. But I do like that. It keeps it. It keeps it private from you. So like, if you share your gift list with someone, it doesn't tell you what gifts have been bought, obviously. But yeah, it's really cool. Another type of list, I guess that I really love doing. And I know you do those as well as brain dumps or parking lots. Those can be really great.
Sarah Steckler
And one of the reasons why I like those lists a lot is they're a little more like, disorganized and chaotic. Sometimes for me, they look more like kind of like a mind map. And it's kind of like this really therapeutic way of just getting everything out of my head like, a lot of times sometimes I'll even do brain dumps that are like everything that's wrong in my life and just kind of get it out on paper. And sometimes after I'm done, I'm like, oh, these things are really not a big deal.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah, I love that. And I love that you call it a parking lot, because the term brain dump just sounds so gross to me that I hate to use it. I used to call it a brain clean because I felt like I was cleaning out my brain like that. But I really like parking lot. And I actually have in my to do list. That's another thing that I was going to talk about was how in my digital list to do it, I'll start the list with a little emoji to make it more fun.
Dana Dealy-Reid
So, like, my parking lot list has a little car emoji in front of it. I like that. But any time I have a reference parking lot and then, like, a regular parking lot. So I'll just like, I'll throw everything in there that I feel like I need to do. And then today I will. I also have it this week. I will, which is not an accurate name for it, because there's this stuff that's been sitting on our list for a real long time. But every now and then I'll look at my parking lot and I'll go through it and I'll say, what can I move to me this week?
Dana Dealy-Reid
I will. And kind of move it bump it a little higher up in the priority, so that it's not just in this kind of giant list of stuff that came out of my brain.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah. I really like that I have different parking lots for different things, too, because for me, the way my brain works, like, I have to kind of compartmentalize different themes. So I'll have a parking lot for, like, creative business ideas or courses I want to make or stuff like that. And then it's really nice because I can get all those ideas down, like, it's always right after I get out of the shower, like, hurry, they're going to leave. And so I can get all those down. And then if I'm feeling inspired, I can take one of those and then create another whole list with that specific idea.
Sarah Steckler
Like, this is exactly what it's going to entail. These are the things I need to research all of that.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I love that. Yeah. That's one thing I love is breaking things down into tiny and tiny tasks until it's like, every task is really easy to check off, and there might be a lot of them, but none of them are huge and really hard to do.
Sarah Steckler
I love that. Yeah. It's kind of like those, like creating kind of those micro tasks that are like things that it's almost, like, impossible not to do them because they're so easy and so straightforward and takes a little time that it's, like boot. And it feels so good to check those things off. Like, I'm going to have to try to do it. It's been on my list Ironically, but I haven't tried it yet.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. Especially because those Karma points. I'm telling you, especially because I keep my grocery list to do it. So when I go to the grocery store, I would say, check things off as I buy them. So it thinks that I'm really productive on Saturdays, because that's when I go grocery shopping.
Sarah Steckler
That's funny.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah.
Sarah Steckler
I really like lists and checking stuff off just feels really satisfying. And then it kind of builds that self efficacy, too. I think it's like, oh, I'm capable because I think sometimes we get in our head like, that a little task that we have to do or something like an email that we have to write or send. It's like, I can't do it because we don't want to. But it's really nice when we're able to kind of just take those things off and I really go back and forth.
Sarah Steckler
It kind of depends. I feel like every couple of months I go between really wanting to have, like, a hard copy paper kind of checklist or doing something more in, like, Trello or Sauna. But one thing I do, like doing a lot is having a Journal. It's pretty much just, like a week at a glance page for every week, which is kind of like the basic stuff I have to do and I always put a little box next to each task, and then I will fill it in halfway when it's in progress, and then fill it in the whole way when it's done.
Sarah Steckler
And that kind of lets me know, too. Like, okay, I've started it or I haven't started it. And I can do a column for, like, due dates. And when I was going through my master's program, that was the only thing that really kept me on top of all my reading was every week I would sit down and be like, okay, what are all the individual things I need to do? And each one of them had its own checkbox. That was helpful.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I love that. Yeah. So that reminds me of power sheets, which for anyone who doesn't know, it's basically like an intention goal setting planner. So it's not a normal planner, like monthly or weekly spreads. But every month you have a pending list where you have monthly, weekly and daily goals. And the thing I like about the monthly goals is that next to them, there's a little progress bar. So even if you don't get the whole goal done, you still get to see that you made progress on it.
Dana Dealy-Reid
So it's not like you check it off or you don't. You can say I got 75% of the way there, but I didn't quite finish. And you still get to feel accomplished, even though you technically didn't complete the goal.
Sarah Steckler
That's really awesome, because so many things are not all or nothing like that, like, small tasks. They can be easy to check off. But I really like that idea, too, especially. I have one of those fitness planners by the Happy Planner. I think it's like the fitness planner or whatever. And I really like it, but I haven't been super consistent with it. But one thing I like about this idea you're talking about it's like, sometimes I have, like, go for a run and then I get going and it's like, I just don't have the energy and I end up like walking or jogging, and it's still fine.
Sarah Steckler
I still went, but I don't feel like I can check that off my fitness list. So I like the idea of having it be a little bit more flexible or finding a way to be like, Well, I still did the thing I was going to do, but it was a little bit different than what I planned.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. And it's also really good for things that are, like a multi step process. So for this month, I have get life insurance on our list because we got married recently and we're looking to buy a condo, and it's like a really long process, so I definitely can't Mark it as a done this month. But I've done a lot of the prep work. Like, I have everything scheduled. It's just I have to go through the process now. So it's not like I didn't do it I got a lot of the stuff done.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I just didn't get all of the stuff done.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah. I like that. And I was listening to something while back about, like, in terms of business, like creating standard operating procedures. And when you think about business, doesn't get a little dry. But I was like, I like the idea of creating those for my personal life because I feel like the more detailed lists and tools you have like that in front of you, the less mental energy it takes every time, because there's a lot of things I do every week. Like, I post this podcast, and there's probably 20 different little steps I have to do to get each one published.
Sarah Steckler
And if I didn't have a checklist, I could still do it. But I would have each step of the way I'd have to, like, Am I forgetting anything? Am I forgetting anything? And that's a lot of mental energy. So it's nice to have stuff that is just like, yeah. And then you have that satisfaction and peace of mind of knowing, like, you have it all covered.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. I love that I Canva think of anything in my life where I could add a standard operating procedure. But now I really want to think of something because I love that idea.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah. Well, it kind of reminds me of what you had for traveling or for me to even, just like, booking a flight. I'm like, okay, I got to book a flight, and then I want to download the app for the airline, and I want to print this out and print that out and make sure that I've emailed it to certain people and let people know. So that's kind of how I think about it. I'm like, who are the people I want to notify who are like, what are the things I need to pack?
Sarah Steckler
And you Canva do that with anything, I guess, like, even shopping or anything. So it's really exciting to think about. I'm trying to think if we missed any other types of lists.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Well, really quick list of books, which is something I love. So I actually use Goodreads, which basically is a list app for books. Yeah. And I love that you can make. So it comes with a standard, like, I read this book. I want to read this book. I'm reading this book, but I added extra lists, which I love that you can do in the app. So I have an up next list so that I know, like, oh, these are the books I should put on hold at the library because I want to read them coming up next.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Or I didn't finish list. Like, there are some books where I get through, and I'm like, this is okay, but the library wants it back, right? And I'm never going to go to the trouble of checking it out again so I can move them over to the didn't read list because they don't belong on the two read lists because I started reading them, but I don't want them to die on my current reading list. And the one thing I really love about Goodreads is the update progress on the books you're currently reading, just like those progress bars and PowerSheets.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I just love seeing my progress. I will sometimes update every ten pages that I read because I like seeing the little percentage.
Sarah Steckler
No, I totally get that. And I love how you can rate the books, too. And, like, write notes and stuff. And I like doing that because it's rare. I guess that I find a book that I'm like, oh, I have to reread this again, but it's nice to know this is worth rereading. Or this is like I read a lot of self help mindfulness type stuff, and it's like, sometimes I'm like, this would be a good book to read every year or every five years. I like that idea just now of coming up with a list of things to do for happiness and well being, like every quarter or every year or every five years, stuff like that.
Sarah Steckler
And one thing too. This is another random thing is I use that there's a website called FutureMe. Org, and I love writing letters to my future self, and I usually have my clients do it too. I'm like, write yourself a letter right now so we can see where you are in three months. But I love making lists in there, too. Like, this is what you're currently working on. And this is what the weather has been like. And these are the things you're angry about, or these are the things you're super happy about.
Sarah Steckler
And when I get that in the future, it's so fascinating to me, like, how much has changed or how many things are no longer applicable. Or I'm like, wow, that was not a big deal, but it was like, your whole life when you wrote that, it's just really interesting to look back on.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Oh, I love that I have had writing a letter to myself on FutureMe. Org on the list for I think maybe a couple of years and I haven't done it. But I love the idea of incorporating lists into that letter. So I'm kind of glad that I waited, because now I can add those lists.
Sarah Steckler
And yeah, you got to do it. It's like, so exciting, because when you get the email, it's like this is a letter from September 12, 2002, and it's like I've sent myself one. I think I sent myself one, like, ten years into the future. I don't know how long. Hopefully they're still around by then. And I don't plan on changing email, but I'm really curious to see it's so crazy when you get them from the past. I remember in elementary school we actually wrote a letter to ourselves and then, like in kindergarten, and we got it back when we were in fifth grade, and it was wild.
Sarah Steckler
Like, it was so wild to see.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I love that.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah. So I wanted to also talk real quick about because we talked about all different kinds of lists, but maybe too, just like some of the benefits of making lists. We've talked about organization, I think really, too for me, they're a really good tool when I'm feeling really anxious or stressed out, sometimes just sitting down with a Journal and a cup of tea and being like, let's make a list of all the crystals you have or all the books you want to read or just like, the things that you want in your life.
Sarah Steckler
That really helps calm me down. But I'd love to hear some of the benefits you experienced from listmaking.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. I definitely agree that listmaking is a really calming thing, and I'm sure not everyone feels that way, but I definitely agree with you on that. But one of the things and it's kind of similar to what you said, but a little different is making things less overwhelming. So every now and then I'll get an email at work and it'll be something where I'm like, oh, God, that feels like such a huge thing. I don't want to do that. It's going to take forever. And then I like, take a breath and I'll take a step back, and I will make a list of, like, we talked about earlier, all of the tiny little steps that need to get done for that one big, annoying path to be done.
Dana Dealy-Reid
And then suddenly it's like, okay, that wasn't so bad. I can definitely do all of that. And I can definitely spiral in that this is too much to do vortex. And so let's help kind of bring me back and ground me and help me realize that those things aren't as big and scary as they seem.
Sarah Steckler
Oh, wow. That's really powerful. I like, that just kind of minimizing. Like, well, not minimizing. But I guess in a way, just kind of helping you kind of bring back to reality. Like, what do you actually need to do for this task and all of that? And you just made me think too of, like, I'm sure we can make more lists of lists, but I was just thinking, too. One thing that really helps me is there are weeks when I'm just, like, I don't know, like, I just get so indecisive about certain things.
Sarah Steckler
Like, what kind of meal do I want to make? Or, like, I just don't feel like making the normal stuff I want to make. So I love having a list of, just, like, meal ideas or snack ideas. And then it's like, healthy stuff that I know is really good or easy recipes. And then if I'm ever in a time where I'm like, oh, I could just go get take out or what's something healthy I can make. I like having that list because it's like, oh, yeah, you can make this, and it's super easy, and it's better than getting take out.
Sarah Steckler
And it's crazy how much we forget about the things that we used to do. Just like, having those lists is helpful.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. I actually also have a list of, just, like, super quick easy meals, because I have the same thing. I'm like, I could just get take out and they'll just deliver it to my door, and it'll be easy, but it won't make me feel as good as a home cooked meal. So, yeah, those quick and easy meals. And I also like, keeping a list of I'm trying to do this thing. I haven't actually started doing it yet where I try to recreate a restaurant meal that looks really good at home.
Dana Dealy-Reid
It feels like it's going to be hard, but I have a list of Ethan or post something on Instagram. I'm like, oh, that looks so good. I'll take a note and try that. Oh, I want to make this tempeh bacon, Mac and cheese with cashew sour cream. And then that way, if I'm feeling really creative one day, I can go back and say, what's one of those restaurant meals I wanted to create and just plug it from the list and make it.
Sarah Steckler
I love that. Yeah. One thing, too. I wanted to mention about some of the pros of using a digital list, too, is that you can put links in there. Like, I love sometimes I have a whole list of, like, courses I bought online or anything like that. And then I can attach, like, the links and the login info or websites that I want to visit or just, like, even just using Pinterest for that can be really helpful. But I just remembered a really important list that we didn't cover, and it's kind of like gratitude lists or joyless, like, what brings me joy?
Sarah Steckler
Those are so powerful. And I don't know if you feel this way, but for whatever reason, it's hard for me. If I sit down, I'm like, what am I grateful for? My brain kind of gets locked up. But if I think about what brings me joy or what little miracle things happen during the day like that, for some reason, it's easier for it to kind of flow through me. But I really want to create a Journal that's just, like, little moments, like, really cool things. Like, for example, my husband and I were out to dinner a couple of weeks ago, and it was just like something so small and not a big deal.
Sarah Steckler
But we were at our table and we had ketchup, and he goes, oh, I really want some mustard. And I looked over and the table next to us had mustard, but no ketchup. And I was just like, oh, that's cool. For whatever reason, it was just like, a little moment where I was like, we needed something. And here it is, so that's something that would go in there, because then the more that you focus on that I feel like the more you see throughout your day.
Dana Dealy-Reid
Yeah. I can't believe we haven't talked back out of business yet. That's definitely something where I don't make them as much as I wish that I did. But one thing that I was in the habit of doing for a while, and I really want to get back into is every night doing a list of three to five things that I was grateful for for that day, and then three to five things that I'm excited about for the next day. So looking back and looking forward.
Sarah Steckler
I like the excited for the next day thing. I've never thought about that. That's really cool, because I always feel like I'm in such a better mood when I wake up in the morning and I have something to look forward to instead of I've got all these emails I have to respond to. It's like, oh, my gosh, I have this after work or there's that new movie that's coming out. I love that idea. That's so awesome. And I also like breaking down the gratitude list, too. Like having list of memories that make me feel really good or my favorite teas or places that I want to go visit or like, things I got to do this winter, right?
Sarah Steckler
And that Canva be something else, too. It's like having a list of things you want to do every season for summer, spring, and like, specific stuff. When we used to live in Annapolis, there was like this little ice rink, and so it was like winter's coming up. Let's put that on the list. So it's just like, it's endless. I think that's why I love this so much.
Dana Dealy-Reid
I know. Me too. They're just the best thing in the world.
Sarah Steckler
Yeah. I really can't think of any more list. I'm sure that we will email back and forth, and we will probably have to add some more ideas to the show notes, but this was so fun. I got so many ideas from you, and I think I'm going to have to make a list of lists after this so I can remember everything. But I just want to thank you so much for being here today and for sharing all of your expertise. Like, seriously, I think you're the most organized person I know.
Dana Dealy-Reid
It's just a Mirage, but I like to give that impression to people.
Sarah Steckler
I love it. Thank you all for listening to the podcast today, all of the show notes and all of the gosh. We listed so many things, all of the we'll have to make a list for all of the tools that we mentioned and links to. Everything will be provided in the show notes that you can find mindful Productivity podcast and as always, thanks for listening.