All about Lists

My mother always said that if you need something done, ask busy people to do it.

How true.

Well I am now a busy person once again, and the busier I get, the more that I get done, and the more that I get asked to do.

I am able to do many things efficiently because I make lists, and work from them. I get an idea, I write it down. I make an appointment, I write it down. I'm driving in my car and have a brainstorm- I pull over, and write it down.

I use Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. This program has my various email programs; a calendar, task list, and reminders. There are tons of other features that I don't know how to use too, especially that allow for communicating with co-workers and/or colleagues, etc. I print it out every day and take it with me everywhere that I go. I add things to it; I cross things off when I complete them. I make notes to myself.

All my appointments are listed by date and time. I list items that I want to get done, places I need to go to file, or pick something up, or see someone, or calls that need to be made, either by time, or listed as an all day event. The calendar prints out for 7 days, so I always know what I have to do, what I need to prepare for, and I can make new appointments intelligently. I list things I need at the supermarket, drug store, dry cleaners, etc.

At night when I get home, I update the list on my computer: add in all of the notes that I made during the day, including off of the napkins and backs of business cards, cross off the completed items, and re-date the items that I didn't get to, and prioritize. (My biggest weight problem is that I come home from work, generally between 8 and 9pm, sit at my computer and work on my list for the following day. Then I go downstairs and overeat dinner. I am using the excuse that I am waiting for the weight loss group to begin before I correct this destructive behavior- which by the way the organizational first meeting will be held Thursday 2/12/09, 7:00pm; @ Our Island Real Estate, 2008 Victory Blvd.- all are welcome).

My father used to say that he was busy as a one armed paper hanger. My entire life I thought that he meant a broken coat hanger. Unfortunately my father was very disorganized. He would write down telephone numbers on envelopes, then lose the envelopes, then spend the day looking for it, and get nothing else done. My dad was many wonderful things, God rest his soul, but a list maker was not one of them!

Another column on my list is called tasks: Here I store lists of items that I need, (home fax #; access codes and passwords including the New Jersey MLS which I belong; new ideas that I am working on like the Weight Loss Support Group; people who I want to stop by and talk to; repairs and improvements for my house; longer term items from my goals list, etc. The program also provides for automatic reminders, so I have programmed every Tuesday and Friday to remind me to buy a mega millions lotto ticket (you can't win it, if you're not in it) I buy 1 ticket at a time- I realized that buying two tickets doesn't cut your odds in half- it becomes 2 in 10 million not 1 in five million..

And I have added more items to my plate. Being somewhat frustrated by my limitations in only writing emails, I have taken on writing a newspaper Island Real Estate News. In the latest edition, I wrote several articles about the bailout, short sales, etc. Chris Reno, broker at Our Island Real Estate, seeing that I have become a busy beaver, asked me to take on some of the distribution, and sales of advertisements. The newspaper will be coming out every other month, I have already begun writing new and interesting articles about interesting topics primarily Staten Island related I’m sure that you won’t be disappointed, and will look forward to each new issue. Consequently, I am still looking for a few more places where I can leave 100 copies on a stand for distribution (All of the locations will be published in the newspaper). I also have 16 1/4 page ads to sell @ $250 each (trying to cover costs). We currently distribute 50,000 copies, including rush hour at the ferry. You can also pick one up at: Queen Anne Car Wash, 101 Jewett Avenue; The Shoe Hospital 515 Bement Avenue; Sam Gregorio’s Florist 814 Forest Avenue, DMAS Insurance 1132 Forest Ave; Manor Tailoring 432 Manor Road; Family Health Foods @ 1789 Victory Blvd; A&S Deli 1720 Richmond Avenue; Dairy Palace 2210 Victory Blvd; Garber Building Supply 98 Greenfield Ave in Rosebank; all of which are on my list. ( If you can’t find one and would like a copy, let me know and I will get you one).

James Port, who is on Lasher's List and reads these emails, has asked me start a Real Estate Forum on SIChat.com, which he operates, as of I am not already busy enough. I have made an entry on my task list called SIChat, by which I remind myself every time I look at the list, generally of what I have to do, and where I will write down ideas as I get them. I didn't ask if James is a list person.

Anyway, it's really easy to start. Take out a pad and pencil, and start writing down everything that you have to do in every area of your life. It's amazing how easy it is and what you come up with. Don't worry about form, just make a big laundry list of everything that you have to do. I guarantee that by doing this, just writing it all down, you will feel a lot better. What it does is put limits on anxiety about what has to be done, now you know since you've written it down. If you don’t want to do any more than that, then work with that list and cross off the items when they are completed. The feeling is amazing. Randy Lee, Esq., another busy list person, who probably does more things than most people can even imagine doing, suggests that you start by numbering the 3 most important items, and you work on the first one, to the exclusion of everything else until it is completed, and then on to the next item.

The most important thing about lists is that on those occasions when you are totally in a daze, when you can't focus because you have become brain dead, all you have to do is to look at your list, and just begin to work.

………………..to be continued

PLEASE NOTE:
Alberta Brescia Regional Vice President of the American Cancer Society, Staten Island is looking for landlords of multifamily dwellings to sign pledges to maintain smoke free premises. Please call Alberta at 718.987.8872, and/or pass this on.