My name is John and I make lists. The crowd answers back in unison, “Hi John”. If there is anything that I have a need for in my life it is the list. Without it I am quickly reduced to a scatterbrained non-thinker. Even without a list on paper, I almost always have a list in my head.

Its not a bad thing, mind you. My lists keep me focused, they free me from the mundane task of tracking how much I have to do and how what I have accomplished. They allow my mind to work the way that it is intended to, one task at a time. My lists make me a task master.

Take a look at my list for today:

• XYZ Co. - Update pre-parser - add check for 5530
• XYZ Co. - Update pre-parser - add gat-planner routine
• XYZ Co. - Update pre-parser - Add check-planner routine
• XYZ Co. - Add Create_matrix_object routine between pre-parse and create_batch
• XYZ Co. - Create A-B document size switch. Add as variable to main wo_parser
• XYZ Co. - Modify resizer to accept A and B size output. Add command line variable
• Download latest ZZZ Library set for LMNOP Co. Project
• Update ZZZ Library set for program Get_Feature_Set
• Update Get_Feature_Set for out of bound operations check
• Create project access password setup for ZZZ Library code
• Cheak all LMNOP Co. Routines for ZZZ Library access - Update with Password Access code
• Publish New Rebuildnig Eden Article - Are you a Task Master
• Create new DWG_Color_Check Routine for RRRR Co. data reader
• Assess all existing test data for RRRR Co. DWG_Text_Orient bug - Build fix list

There it is, the wonderful master work that will keep me on task all day long. No task is more than bite-sized, most of these are an hour or less. Those that are bigger than an hour will probably generate their own mini task list as I start the project. If you have never been a list maker before, give it a try. I usually have two major lists at all times, List 1 contains all of the big projects that need my attention as well as stand-alone items that need to be done. List 2 is a detailed task breakdown of small items that, once accomplished, will knock something off list 1.