Making a list or… a making list!
Lists can be a bit marmite (or vegemite, depending on where you live) – you either love or hate making lists.
List fans love that a list helps them feel organised and on top of things. A list frees up brain space and of course crossing something off a list offers a moment of victory.
List haters find them overwhelming, a steady reminder that there’s too much to do and too little time. They also find that lists often fail to highlight priorities; we tend to trawl through our lists in a linear, top-down fashion, worried to miss the most critical task or that we might never make it to the end alive.
When thinking of lists, most of us probably think of to-do lists.
Sometimes, we fleetingly remember the idea of a bucket list but fear setting ourselves up for disappointment or needless pressure to chase adventures and special experiences over everyday meaning.
I want to introduce you to the idea of two different lists: the making list and the being list.
The making list
The making list is simply a list of things you want to make.
So often, I work with people who speak about their yearning to be more creative. The admire the maker schedules and rhythmic practices of artists; some hoard materials with the intention to fulfil their creative vision, one day.
A making list is a great way to stop wishing and start doing.
Here’s why:
A making list limits choice.
Limiting choice is a great strategy against procrastination. It works wonders when we have a tendency toward perfectionism or being overly critical with ourselves. If you are someone who worries whether you are choosing the best possible idea/ project, creating a making list to pick from could unlock your stuckness.
A making list can also shield us from distraction. When we need to go searching for ideas as soon as the desire to make arises, we risk falling into a completely unrelated rabbit hole, whether we’re browsing for ideas online, or go through books or magazines we have. You’re also less likely to be distracted by another shiny thing someone else is making and showcasing on their socials... A making list gives quick access to ideas we’ve already felt drawn to, and we simply choose one.
A making lists helps us be ready. When you compile a making list you might have in mind materials you own but have never used. Or, if you’re new to making, you might get some specific materials for ideas or projects on your making list. When the moment of enthusiasm or yearning arises, you’re ready to go. No chance of letting your motivation pass because you didn’t have quite the right paper.
What’s on my 2025 making list (right now & so far)
(Notice that I give myself permission to amend this list. Life changes. Lists can change, too.)
Make my own brush set out of found driftwood etc.
Create a pile of collage papers using my completely underused gelli plate.
Create and fill my hand-made fold-out book in which I capture how I’m travelling with my word for 2025: enough.
Pick up my crochet hook again and make the Golden Hour Cape out of yearn that’s been sitting in my stash for 2 years now.
Make a papier maché sculpture.
Paint the large canvas! I plan to revisit Betsy Walton’s online course ‘Symbolic Portraits’ to give me some ideas.
Write artist statements for each page of my arts-based coaching journal. And maybe turn them into a book.
Do the #100dayproject 2025
The being list
If a making list feels too crafty for you but you are ready for an alternative list that creates a counterbalance to your to-do-list, consider the being list.
The being lists invites us to step off the treadmill of doing.
Research has shown that a meaningful life has opportunities to be active and accomplish things and it lets us pull back to be with ourselves, our thoughts and tend to our inner world.
Your being list could still contain activities but think of activities that are less goal or output oriented. Most importantly, they should be activities that fill you up and return something back into your system and don’t just consume resources.
Here are some examples:
To be more in nature. To be in bed earlier. To have uninterrupted time with your family. To switch mobile devices off for a certain amount of time. To be with silence. To be with the waves of the ocean. To find ways to rest regularly. To read more books or a certain type of book.
I remember a time when I couldn’t get myself to pick up a novel. I’ve always loved reading fiction, and suddenly no storyline felt compelling enough. It took me a couple of years to turn this around, and now it’s part of my life rhythm again to be with stories every night before going to sleep.
Maybe your being list holds some qualities you want to invite in your life; calm, reflective, have clarity, greater focus, connect with awe, be creative again, savour the moment.
In this moment, I’m putting this on my being list for 2025:
Tend to my reflective practice.
Be open for new connections and friendships.
Be with a story before sleep to unwind my mind from doing things.
More wonder in life!
Break up with Instagram so that I free up time (for both, doing certain things that matter to me and also for more being).
Practice savouring the small moments.
As I was writing my being list, I noticed that not everything needs to be something new or involve me to change, create a new habit or ritual. Some things on my being list are in place, and I’m simply reminding myself of their importance.
Are you ready to create your alternative lists?