Lists and motivation

I added a specific item to my daily task list, prefacing it with the words, in bold: FIRST THING. This was the thing to be done right away.

When I began my workday, I read the note, and promptly decided to do something else.

This was a clear reminder to me: adding an item to the list does not change how we feel about the task. When we’re avoiding a task because it’s boring, tedious, uninteresting, or challenging, it remains such no matter where it’s listed or how it’s highlighted.

Lists are a record. They can even be a plan at times. They do not represent motivation or commitment: that doesn’t come from the list; that comes from within.