I'd venture to say that every family has it's own way of organizing the troops in order to accomplish all tasks and objectives. Some people set a routine that everyone follows, some people just let things flow and deal with tasks as they arise. Our household relies heavily on lists. Seriously, we have a list of everyday chores and our shopping list that both hang on the fridge; we make lists of errands and appointments when we go into town, lists of miscellaneous tasks and projects, lists of people to contact/send things to, packing lists for trips of any length, subject lists for school, lists of books/movies/music to look up... you name it, we have a list for it. We also believe in having our lists clearly categorized by whatever parameters that apply. For example, chores are listed under the name of the person assigned to do them, and the shopping list is divided by the particular store or type of store where an item is to be purchased.
Obsessive? Maybe a little, but it's a really effective system for keeping track of things, keeping focused on what needs to be done, and preventing extraneous spending of time, energy and money. Think about it: making a list is a quick-and-simple form of planning that outlines your activities, getting you in the mindset of doing, bringing, or buying only what you need to. In addition, you get the tremendous satisfaction of crossing items off a list.
You will, of course, deviate from the list sometimes. This shouldn't be a huge problem, since the list is really just an outline that helps keep you on track. We would recommend, though, that you prioritize your lists of errands and tasks so that all the important stuff gets done first. Above all, be reasonable about how much goes on a list because too much will just look overwhelming and can lead to a serious case of procrastination.
Good luck and happy list-making!
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