Plan With Me Sunday: All About Lists!

Of all the planning and organizational strategies out there, making a list and sticking to it, it probably the thing that I'm the strongest at doing! I'm so excited that this week's Plan With Me Sunday is focused all on lists. Meghan from Keeping Up With Mrs. Harris and Robyn from Kreative in Kindergarten are planning gurus, and their Plan With Me Sundays have taken flight among the blogging world. Be sure to click through other posts and see what everyone else is doing to plan this week!

So, back to lists. Nearly everyone makes them. I have to say that most of my lists are made on my phone. Now don't get me wrong. I make a handwritten to do list at work nearly everyday that I have to work at school; however, for the bigger things like planning a new product or making a shopping list, I tend to use my phone. I'm going to list 3 reasons I use my phone to make 90% of my lists.

1. One of the biggest perks to using my phone is that it is nearly always with me, so it's one less thing that I have to keep up with while I'm tending to children and trying to shop. Can you imagine lugging your purse, three children, a list, a buggy, and everything else that you need in a store? The list would get torn or lost for me. By using my phone, I can take a glance, get what I need, and then double check my list on my phone before checking out. Again, a list is just something else to keep up with, and if the list is on my phone, then woo-lah! Two birds are killed with just one stone. Hey, it saves trees too!

2. Another reason that I prefer to make lists on my phone is because I can use Siri as I'm driving down the road to capture thoughts about new products. Does it always come out exactly like I've said it? Absolutely not. Does Siri ever type the exact words for anybody? I often crack up at the substitute words Siri puts in place of what I really said, but in essence, my thoughts are captured and I don't have to remember it.

3. The third reason I like to use my phone for making lists is because I am a chronic list maker. From product ideas to back to school ideas for my classroom to ideas for church. I make lists all of the time. By using my phone, I don't have to worry about where each list is or if a list is going to get torn off of my notepad. They are neatly organized on my phone and easy to access. One click and they are all listed at my fingertips. Once a list is complete, then I can simply delete it to "clean up" my phone.

I know using your phone to keep a list may not be new to many people, but it's what works for me. Y'all, I even keep a running Christmas list on my telephone! Seriously, I have a list that is titled, "Christmas". When opening said list, you will find everyone's name listed that I currently know we will be needing to purchase a Christmas gift for this upcoming year. As I get ideas about what to buy each person, I quickly open the list and type it beside the person's name. This has been a huge help over the past two Christmases because in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it can be overwhelming trying to get your friends and family gifts that they will like and actually use. My Christmas list is truly a lifesaver for me! 

Remember to check out other posts about lists by returning back to the link-up on Meghan or Robyn's blogs. 

Thanks for reading!

Elaine, Teaching Lane