Although it's doubtful I'll ever totally abandon my lifelong list-making habit, modern technology has largely rendered that habit increasingly unnecessary. Any of my brethren - i.e., fellow list-makers - any ambivalence about this turn of events?
Most of the lists I still maintain are personal ones e.g., favorite authors. But given how easy it is these days to find any author's complete bibliography, keeping a list of which books I want to read by any of my favorites is silly. I recently gave up adding to my list of palindromes, a practice established many years ago to help me pay more attention, and also something I thought might keep my brain a little sharper. But AI can generate a complete list of those instantly. With just a few keystrokes, the same goes for a fun list of almost any type, like anagrams or other types of wordplay. Or song titles with just a woman's name or names that double as puns or ... Getting a picture of the kind of stuff that filled some of my old notebooks?
For me, lists have always been one portal to the creative process. Consequently, I'm hesitant to go cold turkey. On the other hand, I realize most of my lists became redundant years ago and not maintaining as many as I once did frees up time that can be used for creative endeavors. I'm grateful for that. I remain convinced, however, that over-reliance on technology vs. using the list-making part of my brain is not a foolproof solution. My lists are an adjunct that definitely help strengthen my memory. And maintaining a reasonable number of them additionally ensures I'm continually engaging the kinesthetic learning modality, along with the visual and auditory. Research has shown that using all three of those modalities regularly increases retention.
Being able to instantly find anything, without lists, clearly has advantages. But for the time being I'm keeping my options open. List-making brethren: Where are you in this dialectic?
Fellow list maker here. I'm constantly making lists -- or checking things off them. My lists are ordinary 'to do' lists, not the exotic palindrome kind. I often send myself texts to remind myself to add an item to a written list - a reverse tech-to-ink backflip. Yes, there are many note and list apps but if it's not down on paper, I have a difficult time engaging or remembering. Give me a lined pad and a pen and I can conquer the world. Well, at least conquer my dental appointments, library book due dates, oil changes, household chore to-do's.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Thanks for the comment. Always nice to know I have company in Liststan. I didn't touch on my "to-do" lists here - which come in several flavors - lest any reader recommend medication. But I'm a little embarrassed to say I derive pleasure from crossing something off one of those lists that you call "ordinary". And when I can discard one? Oh, rapture. See what I mean about the medication?
DeleteHey Pat. While I am not an actual list maker, I am not without a list or two sitting somewhere with things to do, see, go, read, watch, etc. Some are written lists, some are mental lists (always mistake for me to do that), or, let's call them, e-lists. And I do try to read them, follow them, and do what's on them, but ...
ReplyDeleteHowever, my lovely wife is queen of the list makers. Things to do around the house - list. Shopping - lists (sometimes small, sometimes big), daily chores - list. I believe there may also be a list of the - maybe not always so - subtle reminders she gives me - lol. And all of these lists - hand written on notepads. Gotta love the consistency.
Be well,
Bob
Bob; Thanks again for multiple comments in one day and your continuing support of my blog. You helped to get my 2025 off to a strong start comment-wise. (Get the movie reference there?)
Delete