#Throwback Thursday
Tomorrow is Friday, but the work doesn’t stop until I get my lists made. This month’s throwback podcast episode features list-making star Paula Rizzo who says lists can help us avoid overwhelm.
Elisabeth Rourke here— Polly’s editorial assistant and lover of lists and day planners (oh my gosh, do I get excited about day planners), so when I discovered Polly’s friend and author of TWO books on list-making, Paula Rizzo, was interviewed on the Simply Said Podcast, I knew exactly what and who I’d be writing about today.
This week’s to-do list includes items like finishing this article, prepping pages for workshop, making dinner, scheduling a dog grooming appointment, and doing research-y things for Polly. I’ve been making lists for years. I love them. I need them. They keep my world in order.
Lower Your Stress
Paula Rizzo, author of Listful Thinking: Using Lists to Be More Productive, Successful and Less Stressed and Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You, says that list making is a stress reliever. She says when we try to remember all the tasks we have to get done, it can feel overwhelming. But when you write it down, managing them becomes easier. You might even realize that you don’t have as much on your list as you thought, or that the items on your list are less important and could easily be put off for another day or delegated to someone else. Maybe that’s why I love lists so much.
In Episode 212 from April 18, 2023, Polly focuses on Paula’s book Listful Living, which has exercises and places within the book to jot down thoughts and feelings. Paula tells us to write lists not only as a way to get things done but as a tool to help shape our lives. She also helps us to shine a light on our feelings about our to-do lists. How do we really feel about them? Are we feeling drained? What are the stressors around us?
Boosting Productivity
Paula says it’s important to know yourself and to lean into that. Maybe the kitchen table isn’t great for work-from-home days, maybe the quiet chair in the living room is better for concentrating. Not always are you able to change the environment in which you work, but when or if you can, pay attention to what works best for you. Do you thrive in crowded coffee shops? Do you need absolute silence when working? Or how about the time in which you work—night owls versus early morning shifts? Making lists to help get yourself organized is only one part of the equation. Analyzing them after a hard day’s work is where the real boost in productivity begins.
Happy List Making,
—E
Join Polly (and me too) in Cincinnati
Polly Campbell is speaking at this year’s Writer’s Digest Conference in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Fellow Midwesterners and Skyline Chili lovers, if you’re in the area and are interested in learning a boatload about the writing business, craft, and so much more, register now! Side Note: Paula Rizzo, author of Listful Living and interview guest on the Polly Campbell, Simply Said podcast—Episode 212, is also speaking at this conference.
Also, if you haven’t heard of Polly’s Simply Said Substack and the Polly Campbell Simply Said Podcast, I highly recommend them.
Polly Pop-Up Classes
Also— Polly is planning on doing a couple pop up classes this year with you, her fellow podcast and Substack followers, in mind. If setting up a freelance business is a topic you’d like to know more about, drop Polly a line on her substack!