There are many kinds of lists, and each is useful in its own way. A list can range from 100 things I want to do before I die to a list of reasons that you want to stay in your current career (hopefully you have 100 reasons for that, also).

Here is my definition of an action-item list:

Let's say that you are a writer who has just gotten back an article you had submitted to an editor. You intend to begin at the beginning and just start revising. Unfortunately for many of us, our brains don't function well in this mode.

Here is a peek inside the brain of a typical person in this situation:

I can't believe there are so many corrections.
He/she's an idiot these are ridiculous suggestions.
I'm an idiot. I can't believe I wrote such a terrible article.
Maybe I'm not cut out for this.
No matter what pathetic drivel I manage to write, it won't be good enough.
Just that first suggested revision will take me hours, no, days to complete.
I really need to run some errands. I'll get to it next week.

Your brain can be a scary place.

How can you stop this maelstrom of negative thoughts and get started accomplishing something? One way is to make an action-item list.

Here is an example of such a list:

1. Rewrite paragraph introducing Concept A, being more specific.
2. Check accuracy of 3^rd paragraph.
3. Create more elegant connecting sentence after Concept A on page 3, paragraph 2.

Why can such a simple act as making a list work? A list can do the following:

• Make an overwhelming task seem doable by breaking it into discrete written parts
• Calm you because it's no longer floating in your head--it's there in black and white
• Prove to you that the task will end some day
• Be a touchstone for when you feel unclear about what to do next
• Provide that all-important feeling of accomplishment when you put that check mark next to an item, or cross it out!
• If you are working in 15-30 minute increments, as I often suggest, you will have your work already broken up into separate items, so you are oriented as to where to start no matter how long a break you've taken