Love it, List it, Live it

I love a good list.

I make them for meal plans, groceries, and all kinds of to-do's.

Maybe that is why the beginning of a podcast episode of The Moth has stuck with me lately. Jordie Poncy was a psychologist with a story to tell and a pretty major list to follow, a list called "Still Existing and Bucket Listing." His diagnosis propelled him into the greatest list of all time, one that kept him in the moment.

Hearing his story, I couldn't help but think of how my own diagnosis keeps me in list limbo. I write them, but I don't always follow through.

Sometimes I check off a few items but other times the list remains as it started, empty and foreboding.

So, why do I bother making any lists?

Maybe it's foolish, but lists make me feel productive, even when nothing gets done. The very act of writing the list brings accomplishment and order to chaos.

My mind is constantly whirring and sometimes a good list brings a sense of quiet and calm.

What I liked about Jordie's story was how a simple list could alter the promise of the future through the present. It provided relief for existential crisis and unveiled a sense of hope and purpose.

I want that kind of list, to take me from limbo to livelihood.

That list is a mindset, and I am all for it. My mind is on fire with the idea, and I cannot wait to test it out.

The crazy part is that mindset shift sounds so easy, when in reality, it can be anything but.

So how do I even get started? For Jordie, it was an idea planted by his sister in alignment with a historic psychologist, Viktor Frankl. For me, it's a story told through a podcast in combination with a love for lists. What will it be for you?

How can you avoid list limbo and start living for the moment?

Well? I'll wait.

Manic and Moody