This week once again proves how useful checklists are in my life.

In a perfect world, all my time would be writing time. Or at least two-thirds of it. Alas, I do not live in a perfect world, so I have to make sure I’m making the most of my time and getting as much writing in as I can. Checklists are a valuable to keep me organized and on top of things when life gets especially busy.

Why are checklists so great?

1. They allow you to collect your thoughts.
2. Once your thoughts are all conveniently in one place, you can prioritize them.
3. You have something to fall back on when you find an extra thirty minutes that you don’t know what to do with.
4. It’s extra motivation, because once you get two or three things done, there’s something oddly satisfying about crossing things off the list, kind of like playing a video game. You want to complete the next task and reach the next level.
5. Once the checklist is complete, all other activities are more enjoyable, because you feel free to more fully immerse yourself in them.

Word of warning, however: Don’t get so caught up in getting things done that you miss the big picture of what’s happening within each task or the world around you. I made myself a checklist the week because I knew for the Easter weekend, I wanted to be more of a Mary, not a Martha. (For more on that reference, check out Luke 10:38-42).