The Best Laid Plans...

Are lists! I'm convinced of this, because every time I want to get a lot done, I make a list.
Yesterday, I made a resolution that I would get on the treadmill (affectionately referred to by a friend of mine as a dreadmill) each day, no fail. I began this resolution early in the morning over breakfast with my significant other, Daniel, and my "to-do" list for Monday.
Now, lists work great, but there's some things you have to do along with the lists if you want them to work.
First, you have to tell someone else you're making a list. This has a two-fold purpose. One, they can hold you accountable for the entries on your list, and two, they can help you remember you have a list and where it is.
Now, here's the trick. When you make the list, you show it to someone else. Spouses will do for this, as they'll see you later on that day and they can ask you what you've accomplished. They'll ask politely if you were able to get to everything you had planned, and if you didn't, you can confess it with no chastening. After all, they've been there themselves. They've felt the sting of failure. But this method is for wussies.
If you really want your list method to work, tell your kids. They fail at nothing. Moreover, your children have an agenda. They'd love to see you fail so they can let you know about it.
"Moooommm....did you (fill in the blank here) today?" Said with that pouty lower lip and that eye-rolling 'were-you-good-today? voice.
Now, at this point, if you've failed you could lie and save face. But if you're really courageous and you really want success, you bravely respond, "No." And then you find out why telling your kids about the list works so well. You are so gonna hear about your coffession of failure. If you're a parent, I don't even have to give you a scenario for this. In no time, you're going to be the most successful and efficient person in your family. All because you told your kids about your list.
I made my list yesterday, and I'm looking at it this morning. My 15 year old son hasn't started off for school yet today. I want to go back to bed. Should I tell him about my list? Then a brilliant (2 cups of coffee) idea pops into my head.
Whipping out an eraser (always make your list in pencil for obvious reasons), I replace "Start the dishwasher" with "Go back to bed."
"Honey, come look at Mom's list for today, will you?"
He's off to school. I'm off to bed.