Summary

The website content details the personal journey of a self-described recovering idea-hoarder and list-maker, Tim Maudlin, who has learned to prioritize action over endless idea collection.

Abstract

Tim Maudlin, the author, shares his experience with the compulsion to hoard ideas and create lists, a trait he believes is inherited from his grandmother, a schoolteacher who kept extensive student papers. Despite evolving from pen and paper to sophisticated apps and mindmaps, Maudlin realized that his productivity was hindered by the constant accumulation of ideas without implementation. He emphasizes the importance of taking action on ideas, suggesting a "Daily Doable" approach to tackle one task at a time from the list and offers an ACRONYM template to help others organize their thoughts effectively.

Opinions

Maudlin suggests that the act of capturing ideas can become a substitute for actually implementing them, leading to unproductive behavior.
He values the importance of acting on ideas rather than simply collecting them, advocating for a more mindful and selective approach to productivity.
Maudlin introduces the concept of "Daily Doable" as a practical method for managing tasks, which involves focusing on a single task until completion before moving on to others.
The author provides a complimentary ACRONYM template to assist others in organizing their ideas, indicating his belief in the utility of such tools for productivity.
Maudlin's narrative reflects a personal transformation from being overwhelmed by ideas to a more disciplined and action-oriented approach to creativity and work.

WRITING | CREATIVITY | MINDFULNESS

Of Making Many Lists, There is No End?

Confessions from a recovering idea-hoarder and list-maker.

See the word PIVOT on the list in the upper left? That idea was implemented at this LINK. Photo by the Author

I’m a recovering idea-hoarder and list-maker.

I guess you could say it’s in my genes. My Grandma Fisher was a hoarder. Widowed at 44 years old in 1952, she became the bread-winner for my Mom and Uncle. Grandma taught elementary school a mile down the road from her house for the next 22 years.

Her students loved her. I remember every Halloween she would get dozens of trick-or-treaters. At first, they were her former students. Then it was the children of her students. They kept visiting even after she retired.

So how does that make her a hoarder? After Grandma passed away, my Mom and Uncle discovered boxes of student papers in her house!

She never threw anything away. Why did she keep all of that stuff? No one knows!

Whether you call it a blessing or a curse, my mind is inundated with ideas. I don’t know why. Ideas pop into my head all of the time. And I’ve gotten really good at finding ways to capture those ideas.

Light Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash Right Photo by STIL on Unsplash

I have discovered unless I lasso the thought immediately, it will disappear and unlikely to reappear again. First, it was pen to paper, with endless scraps here and there. Then it got sophisticated with apps and mindmaps.

Regardless of the method, I found myself with endless lists of ideas. The trouble was I thought this was making me productive. Hardly!

Rather than implementing my ideas, I was busy capturing and collecting more and more and more.

Don’t get me wrong, when properly used, lists are awesome. But they’re also meaningless if they are never acted on.

What does a recovering idea-hoarder and list-maker do? The answer is really quite simple. DO!

I’ll close this story with a Daily Doable in the form of, what else? A list of course!

Read your list
Pick ONE thing to do
Do it!
Ignore the rest until the one thing is done

Before I go, can I send you something? I’m Recovering Idea Hoarder and List Maker, Tim Maudlin. One of the tools I use to organize my ideas is the ACRONYM template. Details below.

Get your complimentary template by filling out the form below.

This story was originally published on my site at DoWhatYouCanNow.com You can reach me there or email [email protected]