Do you wish you had a great memory? Do you forget important things like paying bills, urgent things to do, things to get or time and or date of appointments? Then calm down and start each day with a list and here are four reasons why.

It helps you prepare for the day.

We all have our morning rituals, ranging from breakfast and reading the paper to putting on your trainers for a little light jogging. How about adding the minor task of writing a list of jobs for the day?  Putting pen to paper kick-starts your mental engines and gets you thinking about the day ahead.

Rank your list in areas of importance so you can prioritise based on time available You’ll be more productive if you batch similar work. With a well-organised and prioritised list, you will be able to utilise your time more effectively throughout the day without adding undue stress and anxiety from forgetting something.

Better out on paper than relying on memory.

Putting your thoughts on paper is an incredible weight off your shoulders. A list is an external cue that will help you remember and will leave your brain clear for thinking,

Every item ticked off as done is a win.

 Every reminder checked off your list is a tiny win for the day. It feels great to know you’ve done something. This is especially true when you fee stressed with so much to do. There’s no rule saying you can’t celebrate picking up the paper in the morning, paying a bill or getting through a dentist appointment. “Reviewing our lists can help us see how far we’ve come, what we’ve accomplished, maybe you didn’t change the world, but you did improve your feeling of self-worth and made your life a little less stressful… and you will have the crossed-off list to prove it!

Sometimes you need help remembering your larger goals.

Your daily to-do lists help you keep track of what you need to do to keep your day-to-day life running. However, sometimes you start to lose sight of your greater goals in life. So begin making lists of your long-term goals and desires — big and small. These lists may be grander in scope and perhaps include supporting your family, making healthy choices, and staying focused on where you want to be in the next twelve months.

It is important to keep a list of your goals as reminder of why you do what you do and to help you get back on track if you lose your way.

Whether you use a notebook, the back of an envelope or an app on your Smartphone, making a list is a quick and easy way to reduce unneeded stress.