Inside: the 5 most important lists to have in your journal or planner. Plus tips on using lists in your planner more effectively and efficiently.

Getting organized sounds amazing.

You set every intention to get organized.

“Start with a list”, they say.

You make a list.

• You realize you forgot to include a few really important items
• And the list is already SO LONG, you feel overwhelmed at the thought of adding more to it
• Next thing you know, you lose the list completely

You know this is NOT the result you want.

The good news is you're not alone. 

We hear this from planners all the time. And we've experienced this frustration ourselves.

That's why we created this post of 5 lists you MUST have in your planner.

These lists:

• Handle any kind of task you'd ever want to put on a to-do list
• Are realistic and practical
• Stop the overwhelm
• Can be done in journals or planners - these work anywhere!
• Allow you to lose the stress, not the list!

Before we dig into these 5 essential lists for success, let's discuss some mistakes to avoid.

Why Making Lists Ends in Failure

Maybe you’ve felt relief after making a list. It feels so good to get everything out of your head and on paper!

And that might make you think that the magic occurs in making the list itself.

So why is it so hard to make the list, stay consistent, and actually use it?

You might be making these list-making mistakes:

Mistake #1: Making the list too fancy

When we put anything ahead of making the list, we create a barrier.

Do you wait until you have the perfect paper or perfect handwriting before you make a list?

We give you permission to make the messiest lists ever. If that's what's standing in your way.

You don’t need:

• special paper
• your list to be decorated with fancy stickers
• to write your list by candlelight under the third full moon of the season

Want to make lists fast? We have Inserts for that 😉

Keep list-making simple and practical so you’ll actually do it.

Mistake #2: Creating lists that are not easy to reference again

When you’re ultra busy and your head is swimming with ideas, writing it all down ANYWHERE will provide relief.

Some lists end up:

• In a notes app on the phone
• On sticky notes … everywhere
• On calendars, napkins, oh my!

And then you’ve created a new problem: your list is literally anywhere and everywhere in 32 different parts.

Instead, make your lists in one location in your planner.

Then, use a page finder in your planner to mark the location of your lists so you can reference them fast.

Mistake #3: Making too many lists in too many places

Along the lines of the last mistake is creating too many lists and keeping them in too many places.

This might look like a grocery list on the fridge, a honey-do list on the bathroom door, a wall calendar with to-dos on it, and maybe even a notepad in your car for even more lists.

How can you keep track of everything when everything is everywhere?

The best place for your lists is somewhere:

• You reference and check often
• Is consistently the place you make and keep your lists

If this sounds like your planner, bingo! We definitely believe that the best place for your lists is in your planner.

Studies show that lists can help us be more productive because they help us get projects and goals out of our brain so we can focus on the given task we're doing now.

The trick is finding the right list for each purpose.

The 5 Essential Lists You Need in your Journal or Planner

These 5 lists have made a huge difference in how we plan and what we get done around here at Jane’s Agenda:

• #1: “Waiting On” List
• #2: A “Promises” List
• #3: “Worries” List
• #4: “Home Inventory” List
• #5: “Primary Task” List

List #1: A "Waiting On" List

A "Waiting On" list is a running list of all the things you're "waiting on".

Writer Chris Bailey suggests the "Waiting On" list in the book The Productivity Project  (which we highly recommend). The “Waiting On” list is a concept first created by David Allen as a productivity tool in his “Getting Things Done” system.

"Waiting On" lists are perfect for:

• Follow-ups: did the client respond to your last email? Did your child's teacher ever get back to you on that conference you requested? Did that Amazon order actually arrive?
• Loans and Debts: does Bob still have your lawnmower he borrowed? Did Cathy ever pay back that $20 you loaned her at lunch last month?
• Tasks in Order: the form you can fill out once Audrey in Accounting gets back to you with the routing number. Or the appointment you're waiting to schedule until your son gets back to you with his game schedule.

Schedule time in your planner to reference your "Waiting On" list regularly to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.

List #2: A Promises List