To list or not to list

I've never been very good at making lists, working through the items and ticking them off. Though now I think about it, that's a generalisation that's not universally true. I make and rigorously use lists for specific, immediate purposes. I use shopping lists and dinner party lists, and I always make travel lists - enumerating the things I need to pack and the things I need to do before leaving.

But I don't make and use the big, sophisticated kinds of lists much valued by time management experts that set deadlines, and allocate priorities and timelines. Every time I've tried to do this I become panic-stricken and realise that I either can't do everything that should be done or don't want the kind of life that's represented by the list. So I revert to muddling along through allowing the most urgent (or sometimes the most pleasant) tasks to rise to the top of my non-list of things to do.

But, going against all my previous experience and habits, I've made a list of my projected knitting for the year. I had some time off work today, and I've used the queuing function in Ravelry to make my (very public) list. Partly this has been prompted by my 2009 Personal Sock Club commitment and a realisation that to get any knitting other than my socks done, I need to be a bit organised and have some idea of priorities. After much consideration and editing, I've ended up with a list of 16 projects. I almost retreated into my usual panic-stricken list avoidance at the thought of such a program, but once I counted up my completed projects for 2008 and discovered there were 23 of them (amazing!), I've gathered courage and I'm allowing my queue to stand.

I've even included a couple of wips in the queue to ensure they are completed. Here goes!