Let’s face it—life is busy!

We all have things to do and tasks that pile up—at work and at home. Even simply running a household can take a tremendous amount of time and effort, not to mention the added stress of unexpected things that often come up last minute and threaten to derail our plans.

Fortunately, there’s a solution that many busy people use to help keep themselves on-track and organized amidst the busy-ness of life. That solution is creating lists—outlining everything that they need to do, to keep themselves on-track and organized, and to ensure that nothing gets forgotten.

How do lists work so well? Aside from giving you a place to store all of those little tasks that would otherwise be easily forgotten, lists can also help to free up your mind, reduce stress, and give you more control over your time. This, in turn, can help you to feel happier.

Making lists is like taking notes when listening to a lecture or reading a book. Many studies have shown that taking notes can help to distill information, helping you to retain more information than you would by listening alone. In a similar way, the simple act of Writing down your to-do lists can help you remember those things that need to be done—allowing you to accomplish more.

While lists are often considered useful in the workplace, they can also be beneficial in the home where life often is the busiest.

Simplifying your life starts now! Here’s a look at a few benefits that come from jotting things down. Read on to see how making lists can help to simplify your home life—allowing you to make the most of your day and helping you to be happier and less stressed as a result.

Save Money

Making lists can actually help you save money. Consider how many extra items often find their way into your basket or cart when you forget a grocery list? Making lists of expenditures can also help you to keep on track financially—allowing you to see where your money’s going, and putting you in control of your finances. This is a great way to find out where your money is going each month—and, if you’re looking to save, this can help to highlight potential areas that you can work on. Finally, don’t forget about meal planning! Writing down your meals for the week can help you save at the store, allowing you to ensure that you only shop for what you need.

Free Printable Resources: Grocery Shopping List • Weekly Meal Planner

Set Goals

Goals start with a dream but turning them into reality requires time, persistence, and a lot of hard work! Writing down your goals and dreams, and keeping your list visible and accessible will allow you to keep your goals front and center—ensuring that they’re not forgotten! Once you’ve established your goals, you’ll want to break them up into smaller, doable steps—and assign dates to them or put them on the calendar to make sure they get done!

Get Things Done

After a long day of work, either at home or the office, it can be difficult to remember all of those extra jobs that need to be done. Don’t beat yourself up for not remembering everything. Instead, write them down! Jotting down things like bills that need to be paid, cleaning jobs that need done, or even your gardening plans will get those projects out of your mind, and down on paper—helping them to get done!

Free Printable Resources: Bill Pay Checklist • Cleaning Schedule • Gardening Planner

Boost Morale

Finally, lists can help to boost your morale as well. After a long day (or week!), it’s easy to feel discouraged, frustrated at the things that didn’t get done—and overwhelmed with everything that still needs to be finished. But writing things down is a great way to get it all out, allowing you to gather your thoughts and then organize them.

* * *

Never underestimate the power of lists! Writing things down can be valuable for anyone—at any stage of life, at work or at home. Simplify your days, organize your thoughts, and make your dreams happen. It all starts with the humble list!

Do you create lists for your work—or personal life?

The post How Lists Simplify Your Home Life appeared first on Day Designer® • 2017 Daily Planner.