A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorised in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but lists are frequently written down on paper, or maintained electronically. Lists are "most frequently a tool", and "one does not read but only uses a list: one looks up the relevant information in it, but usually does not need to deal with it as a whole".[1]
Shopping list drawn in 1518 by Michelangelo for an illiterate servant1917 list of the top ten college football teams, in the opinion of a sports expertLaminated Depeche Mode set list
It has been observed that, with a few exceptions, "the scholarship on lists remains fragmented".[1] David Wallechinsky, a co-author of The Book of Lists, described the attraction of lists as being "because we live in an era of overstimulation, especially in terms of information, and lists help us in organizing what is otherwise overwhelming".[2]
The same list may serve different purposes for different people. A list of currently popular songs may provide the average person with suggestions for music that they may want to sample, but to a record company executive, the same list would indicate trends regarding the kinds of artists to sign to maximize future profits.
Organizing principlesEdit
Lists may be organized by a number of different principles. For example, a shopping list or a list of places to visit while vacationing might each be organized by priority (with the most important or most desired items at the top and least important or least desired at the bottom), or by proximity, so that following the list will take the shopper or vacationer on the most efficient route.
A list may also completely lack any principle of organization, if it does not serve a purpose for which such a principle is needed. An unsorted list is one "in which data items are placed in no particular order with respect to their content; the only relationships between data elements consist of the list predecessor and successor relationships".[3] In her book, Seriously... I'm Kidding, comedian Ellen DeGeneres provides a list of acknowledgements, notes her difficulty in determining how to order the list, and ultimately writes: "This list is in no particular order. Just because someone is first doesn't mean they're the most important. It doesn't mean they're not the most important either".[4] A list that is sorted by some principle may be said to be following a sequence.
Many highly specialized kinds of lists also exist. For example, a table of contents is a list of the chapters or other features of a written work, usually at the beginning of that work, and an index is a list of concepts or terms found in such a work, usually at the end of the work. A set list is a list of songs that a band will regularly play in concerts during a tour.[5] A word list is a list of the lexicon of a language (generally sorted by frequency of occurrence either by levels or as a ranked list) within some given text corpus, serving the purpose of vocabulary acquisition.[6]
Many connoisseurs or experts in particular areas will assemble "best of" lists containing things that are considered the best examples within that area. Where such lists are open to a wide array of subjective considerations, such as a list of best poems, best songs, or best athletes in a particular sport, experts with differing opinions may engage in lengthy debates over which items belong on the list, and in which order.
Task listsEdit
A task list (also called a to-do list or "things-to-do") is a list of tasks to be completed, such as chores or steps toward completing a project. It is an inventory tool which serves as an alternative or supplement to memory. Writer Julie Morgenstern suggests "do's and don'ts" of time management that include mapping out everything that is important, by making a task list.[7] Task lists are also business management, project management, and software development, and may involve more than one list.
When one of the items on a task list is accomplished, the task is checked or crossed off. The traditional method is to write these on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil, usually on a note pad or clip-board. Task lists can also have the form of paper or software checklists. Numerous digital equivalents are now available, including personal information management (PIM) applications and most PDAs. There are also several web-based task list applications, many of which are free.
Task list organizationEdit
Task lists are often diarized and tiered. The simplest tiered system includes a general to-do list (or task-holding file) to record all the tasks the person needs to accomplish and a daily to-do list which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general to-do list. An alternative is to create a "not-to-do list", to avoid unnecessary tasks.[7]
Task lists are often prioritized in the following ways.
A daily list of things to do, numbered in the order of their importance and done in that order one at a time as daily time allows, is attributed to consultant Ivy Lee (1877–1934) as the most profitable advice received by Charles M. Schwab (1862–1939), president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation.[8][9][10]
An early advocate of "ABC" prioritization was Alan Lakein, in 1973. In his system "A" items were the most important ("A-1" the most important within that group), "B" next most important, "C" least important.[11]
A particular method of applying the ABC method[12] assigns "A" to tasks to be done within a day, "B" a week, and "C" a month.
To prioritize a daily task list, one either records the tasks in the order of highest priority, or assigns them a number after they are listed ("1" for highest priority, "2" for second highest priority, etc.) which indicates in which order to execute the tasks. The latter method is generally faster, allowing the tasks to be recorded more quickly.[7]
Another way of prioritizing compulsory tasks (group A) is to put the most unpleasant one first. When it is done, the rest of the list feels easier. Groups B and C can benefit from the same idea, but instead of doing the first task (which is the most unpleasant) right away, it gives motivation to do other tasks from the list to avoid the first one.
A completely different approach which argues against prioritizing altogether was put forward by British author Mark Forster in his book "Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management". This is based on the idea of operating "closed" to-do lists, instead of the traditional "open" to-do list. He argues that the traditional never-ending to-do lists virtually guarantees that some of your work will be left undone. This approach advocates getting all your work done, every day, and if you are unable to achieve it, that helps you diagnose where you are going wrong and what needs to change.[13]
Various writers have stressed potential difficulties with to-do lists such as the following.
Management of the list can take over from implementing it. This could be caused by procrastination by prolonging the planning activity. This is akin to analysis paralysis. As with any activity, there's a point of diminishing returns.
To remain flexible, a task system must allow for disaster. A company must be ready for a disaster. Even if it is a small disaster, if no one made time for this situation, it can metastasize, potentially causing damage to the company.[14]
To avoid getting stuck in a wasteful pattern, the task system should also include regular (monthly, semi-annual, and annual) planning and system-evaluation sessions, to weed out inefficiencies and ensure the user is headed in the direction he or she truly desires.[15]
If some time is not regularly spent on achieving long-range goals, the individual may get stuck in a perpetual holding pattern on short-term plans, like staying at a particular job much longer than originally planned.[16]
^ abLucie Doležalová, "The Potential and Limitations of Studying Lists", in Lucie Doležalová, ed., The Charm of a List: From the Sumerians to Computerised Data Processing (2009).
^Weeks, Linton (February 24, 2009). "10 Reasons Why We Love Making Lists" – via NPR.
^Nell B. Dale, Chip Weems, Programming and Problem Solving with C++ (2014), p. 664.
^"The Art of the Set List: Choosing the Right Songs in the Right Order - DIY Musician Blog". DIY Musician Blog. 2013-08-19. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
^Nation, P. (1997), "Vocabulary size, text coverage, and word lists", in Schmitt; McCarthy (eds.), Vocabulary: Description, Acquisition and Pedagogy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 6–19, ISBN978-0-521-58551-4
^ abcMorgenstern, Julie (2004). Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule—and Your Life (2nd ed.). New York: Henry Holt/Owl Books. p. 285. ISBN0-8050-7590-9.
^Mackenzie, Alec (1972). The Time Trap (3rd ed.). AMACOM - A Division of American Management Association. pp. 41–42. ISBN081447926X.
^LeBoeuf, Michael (1979). Working Smart. Warner Books. pp. 52–54. ISBN0446952737.
^Nightingale, Earl (1960). . Lead the Field (unabridged audio program). Nightingale-Conant. Archived from the original on 2013-01-08.
^Lakein, Alan (1973). How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. New York: P.H. Wyden. ISBN0-451-13430-3.
^"Time Scheduling and Time Management for dyslexic students". Dyslexia at College. from the original on 2005-10-26. Retrieved October 31, 2005. — ABC lists and tips for dyslexic students on how to manage to-do lists
^Forster, Mark (2006-07-20). Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management. Hodder & Stoughton Religious. p. 224. ISBN0-340-90912-9.
^"Tyranny of the Urgent" essay by Charles Hummel 1967.
^. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
October 22, 2023
list, information, list, discrete, items, information, collected, forth, some, format, utility, entertainment, other, purposes, list, memorised, number, ways, including, existing, only, mind, list, maker, lists, frequently, written, down, paper, maintained, el. A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility entertainment or other purposes A list may be memorised in any number of ways including existing only in the mind of the list maker but lists are frequently written down on paper or maintained electronically Lists are most frequently a tool and one does not read but only uses a list one looks up the relevant information in it but usually does not need to deal with it as a whole 1 Shopping list drawn in 1518 by Michelangelo for an illiterate servant1917 list of the top ten college football teams in the opinion of a sports expertLaminated Depeche Mode set list Contents 1 Purpose 2 Organizing principles 3 Kinds of lists 3 1 Task lists 3 1 1 Task list organization 4 See also 5 ReferencesPurpose EditIt has been observed that with a few exceptions the scholarship on lists remains fragmented 1 David Wallechinsky a co author of The Book of Lists described the attraction of lists as being because we live in an era of overstimulation especially in terms of information and lists help us in organizing what is otherwise overwhelming 2 The same list may serve different purposes for different people A list of currently popular songs may provide the average person with suggestions for music that they may want to sample but to a record company executive the same list would indicate trends regarding the kinds of artists to sign to maximize future profits Organizing principles EditLists may be organized by a number of different principles For example a shopping list or a list of places to visit while vacationing might each be organized by priority with the most important or most desired items at the top and least important or least desired at the bottom or by proximity so that following the list will take the shopper or vacationer on the most efficient route A list may also completely lack any principle of organization if it does not serve a purpose for which such a principle is needed An unsorted list is one in which data items are placed in no particular order with respect to their content the only relationships between data elements consist of the list predecessor and successor relationships 3 In her book Seriously I m Kidding comedian Ellen DeGeneres provides a list of acknowledgements notes her difficulty in determining how to order the list and ultimately writes This list is in no particular order Just because someone is first doesn t mean they re the most important It doesn t mean they re not the most important either 4 A list that is sorted by some principle may be said to be following a sequence Items on a list are often delineated by bullet points or a numbering scheme Kinds of lists EditKinds of lists used in everyday life include Shopping list To do list ChecklistMany highly specialized kinds of lists also exist For example a table of contents is a list of the chapters or other features of a written work usually at the beginning of that work and an index is a list of concepts or terms found in such a work usually at the end of the work A set list is a list of songs that a band will regularly play in concerts during a tour 5 A word list is a list of the lexicon of a language generally sorted by frequency of occurrence either by levels or as a ranked list within some given text corpus serving the purpose of vocabulary acquisition 6 Many connoisseurs or experts in particular areas will assemble best of lists containing things that are considered the best examples within that area Where such lists are open to a wide array of subjective considerations such as a list of best poems best songs or best athletes in a particular sport experts with differing opinions may engage in lengthy debates over which items belong on the list and in which order Task lists Edit A task list also called a to do list or things to do is a list of tasks to be completed such as chores or steps toward completing a project It is an inventory tool which serves as an alternative or supplement to memory Writer Julie Morgenstern suggests do s and don ts of time management that include mapping out everything that is important by making a task list 7 Task lists are also business management project management and software development and may involve more than one list When one of the items on a task list is accomplished the task is checked or crossed off The traditional method is to write these on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil usually on a note pad or clip board Task lists can also have the form of paper or software checklists Numerous digital equivalents are now available including personal information management PIM applications and most PDAs There are also several web based task list applications many of which are free Task list organization Edit Task lists are often diarized and tiered The simplest tiered system includes a general to do list or task holding file to record all the tasks the person needs to accomplish and a daily to do list which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general to do list An alternative is to create a not to do list to avoid unnecessary tasks 7 Task lists are often prioritized in the following ways A daily list of things to do numbered in the order of their importance and done in that order one at a time as daily time allows is attributed to consultant Ivy Lee 1877 1934 as the most profitable advice received by Charles M Schwab 1862 1939 president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation 8 9 10 An early advocate of ABC prioritization was Alan Lakein in 1973 In his system A items were the most important A 1 the most important within that group B next most important C least important 11 A particular method of applying the ABC method 12 assigns A to tasks to be done within a day B a week and C a month To prioritize a daily task list one either records the tasks in the order of highest priority or assigns them a number after they are listed 1 for highest priority 2 for second highest priority etc which indicates in which order to execute the tasks The latter method is generally faster allowing the tasks to be recorded more quickly 7 Another way of prioritizing compulsory tasks group A is to put the most unpleasant one first When it is done the rest of the list feels easier Groups B and C can benefit from the same idea but instead of doing the first task which is the most unpleasant right away it gives motivation to do other tasks from the list to avoid the first one A completely different approach which argues against prioritizing altogether was put forward by British author Mark Forster in his book Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management This is based on the idea of operating closed to do lists instead of the traditional open to do list He argues that the traditional never ending to do lists virtually guarantees that some of your work will be left undone This approach advocates getting all your work done every day and if you are unable to achieve it that helps you diagnose where you are going wrong and what needs to change 13 Various writers have stressed potential difficulties with to do lists such as the following Management of the list can take over from implementing it This could be caused by procrastination by prolonging the planning activity This is akin to analysis paralysis As with any activity there s a point of diminishing returns To remain flexible a task system must allow for disaster A company must be ready for a disaster Even if it is a small disaster if no one made time for this situation it can metastasize potentially causing damage to the company 14 To avoid getting stuck in a wasteful pattern the task system should also include regular monthly semi annual and annual planning and system evaluation sessions to weed out inefficiencies and ensure the user is headed in the direction he or she truly desires 15 If some time is not regularly spent on achieving long range goals the individual may get stuck in a perpetual holding pattern on short term plans like staying at a particular job much longer than originally planned 16 See also EditA list Blacklist Whitelist The Book of Lists Difference list The Infinity of Lists 2009 by Umberto Eco on the topic of lists Life list Linked list List abstract data type in computer science List comprehension List disambiguation List of lists of lists Outline list Self organizing list Short list Wait list Word listReferences Edit a b Lucie Dolezalova The Potential and Limitations of Studying Lists in Lucie Dolezalova ed The Charm of a List From the Sumerians to Computerised Data Processing 2009 Weeks Linton February 24 2009 10 Reasons Why We Love Making Lists via NPR Nell B Dale Chip Weems Programming and Problem Solving with C 2014 p 664 Ellen DeGeneres Seriously I m Kidding 2011 p 8 The Art of the Set List Choosing the Right Songs in the Right Order DIY Musician Blog DIY Musician Blog 2013 08 19 Retrieved 2018 11 18 Nation P 1997 Vocabulary size text coverage and word lists in Schmitt McCarthy eds Vocabulary Description Acquisition and Pedagogy Cambridge Cambridge University Press pp 6 19 ISBN 978 0 521 58551 4 a b c Morgenstern Julie 2004 Time Management from the Inside Out The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule and Your Life 2nd ed New York Henry Holt Owl Books p 285 ISBN 0 8050 7590 9 Mackenzie Alec 1972 The Time Trap 3rd ed AMACOM A Division of American Management Association pp 41 42 ISBN 081447926X LeBoeuf Michael 1979 Working Smart Warner Books pp 52 54 ISBN 0446952737 Nightingale Earl 1960 Session 11 Today s Greatest Adventure Lead the Field unabridged audio program Nightingale Conant Archived from the original on 2013 01 08 Lakein Alan 1973 How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life New York P H Wyden ISBN 0 451 13430 3 Time Scheduling and Time Management for dyslexic students Dyslexia at College Archived from the original on 2005 10 26 Retrieved October 31 2005 ABC lists and tips for dyslexic students on how to manage to do lists Forster Mark 2006 07 20 Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management Hodder amp Stoughton Religious p 224 ISBN 0 340 90912 9 Horton Thomas New York The CEO Paradox 1992 Tyranny of the Urgent essay by Charles Hummel 1967 86 Experts Reveal Their Best Time Management Tips Archived from the original on March 3 2017 Retrieved March 3 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List information amp oldid 1181271923, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
