The death-defying to-do list

A mind in motion tends to stay in motion; a mind at rest has to deal with its eventual cessation.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

I get a little panicky when my Post-it supply runs out ‘cos they’re what I use to make my to-do lists. My “tasks for today” list is the key that starts the engine of my executive functioning — attentional control, working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, planning, and reasoning and problem solving. Without it, my head will shuffle between paralysis, worry and melancholia. Without the dopamine hits that come from checking items off my list, the idea of getting off this ride might actually sound reasonable.

Without my list, I’d feel unmoored, less able to carry out the tasks of daily living. With my “tasks for today” list I’ll have little missions for the next 24-hours, which in turn helps me structure my time and move through the day with purpose. This list is like a map that helps me wade through what would otherwise feel like an uncontrollable existence. It helps me feel less anxious and more focused as I navigate this thing called “my life”.

I also have a “further down the road” to-do list, which might include vacation planning, items that I am thinking of buying but don’t need just yet, scheduling the start date to learn a new language, books I want to read when I find the time, the names of friends I want to reach out, or subjects I…