{"id":43527,"date":"2015-09-21T11:15:24","date_gmt":"2015-09-21T15:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=43527"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:07:54","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:07:54","slug":"to-do-list-52-lists-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/to-do-list-52-lists-project\/","title":{"rendered":"How Your To-Do List Can Make You a Happier Person"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You\u2019ve got a to-do list, a bucket list a grocery list<\/a> and a wish list \u2014\u00a0but aside from the sweet satisfaction you get from crossing off each item, does your list-making habit actually make you happier?<\/p>\n

For Seattle-based small business owner<\/a>, online curator and blogger Moorea Seal<\/a>, the answer is yes. \u201cCreating organization and detail within my creative landscape is essential for me to accomplish anything,\u201d says Seal. \u201cList-making is that guideline that turns my creative wandering into [practical] steps and outlines.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 11 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress Now<\/a><\/p>\n

The Power of the To-Do List<\/strong><\/h3>\n

List lovers know that neatly organized to-dos make it easier for them to order and process information. But perhaps more importantly, Seal discovered another use for her numbered lists: self-reflection<\/a>. \u201cI know so many people who get pretty enthusiastic about list-making,\u201d says Seal. \u201cI wanted to transform that everyday habit into a simple but straightforward weekly ritual of self-discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Lists are simple, logical and approachable. It\u2019s like a lazy person\u2019s form of journaling.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 2013, Seal started the 52 Lists Project<\/a> on her blog. Each week, she shared a prompt, such as: \u2018List the things that make you feel healthy<\/a>: mind, body and soul,\u2019<\/em> or \u2018List your greatest comforts<\/em>.\u2019 \u201cI suddenly began to see on paper just how much goodness I am surrounded by,\u201d says Seal. \u201cList-making offered a healthy way for me to look at all the elements that make me who I am and gave me the chance to be proud of it all and thankful for every high and low, which is the greatest healing.\u201d Soon, a virtual list-loving community blossomed on her blog, as others began to share their own lists and connect with each other.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 7 Tips to Actually Succeed at Your Digital Detox<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s good reason why people flocked to the project. Lists are simple, logical and approachable. It\u2019s like a lazy person\u2019s form of journaling. And research has shown<\/a> many physical and emotional health benefits associated with journaling, including reduced stress<\/a>, improved immune function and increased emotional well-being<\/a>. Plus, according to a study in the journal Psychological Science<\/a><\/em>, writing things down by hand improves your memory and leads to higher quality learning.<\/p>\n

This year, Seal transformed her online venture\u00a0into a book called The 52 Lists Project: A Year of Weekly Journaling Inspiration<\/a>.<\/em> \u201cI created each list prompt very thoughtfully, allowing [you the] freedom to take the prompt however you want, dependent on your personality, but [also] in a simple and specific way that wouldn\u2019t overwhelm anyone,\u201d says Seal. A \u2018Take Action\u2019 section, designed to encourage further reflection on how you can transform your life, accompanies each prompt.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 10 Simple Strategies for Sticking to Your Goals<\/a><\/p>\n

Want to start cranking out lists that are more meaningful than your typical memos to \u2018Buy chicken\u2019<\/em>? Use one of the 20 prompts<\/a> on Seal\u2019s blog or pick up the book<\/a>. Seal offers these pointers to help you get the most out of your very own weekly list project.<\/p>\n

3 Tips for Making Better To-Do Lists <\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Don\u2019t Edit
\n<\/strong>We often have preconceived notions of how we think<\/em> we should respond to things \u2014\u00a0but resist the urge to censor yourself before you write your list. \u201cThe greatest mistake would simply be not allowing yourself to release,\u201d says Seal. \u201cThe more you allow your mind to explore, acknowledging every high and low<\/a>, confusion or solid decision, the more comfortable you will be in simply being a complex, mysterious and unique human being.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How to Get Good at Stress (And Make It Work in Your Favor)<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Never Erase
\n<\/strong>One of Seal\u2019s key list-making tips comes from her art school days \u2014 never erase. \u201cWhatever flows from your pen is something that was meant to be on the page,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce it\u2019s there, you have the opportunity to see each comment and thought through a bigger lens, analyzing each line in comparison to the next and the whole collective of thoughts together,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 7 Ways to Carve Out Time to Meditate<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Make It A Habit
\n<\/strong>List making is a practice, just like exercise<\/a>, yoga<\/a> or meditation<\/a>. You have to make the time for it. Seal sets aside an hour each week to write her weekly list. \u201cWhen I do it, I feel so much more at peace and fulfilled,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing as satisfying as completing a list.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a long-time list maker or are just warming up to the idea, it can be a powerful way to stay organized, but also to reflect on your goals. \u201cI recognize that delving deeper and getting to know oneself is a more terrifying task for some people than others,\u201d says Seal. \u201cList making is that perfect balance of getting to the root source of what you think and feel without getting too complicated or lost in thought.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Making a to-do list (and checking off everything on it) can be totally addictive. But does your compulsive habit actually improve your life? Here\u2019s how to make every list count. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":43529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12,15],"tags":[104,282,341,360],"class_list":["post-43527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-stress","tag-goals","tag-stress","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2stress-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}