Cosmopolitan ^ DECEMBER 2016 ^97
w ords
: trevina
abeyesundere
| imag
E: getty images
/ first light
The
Power
of the
To-do
List
if you’re not in the habit of creating
to-do lists, now’s the time to start.
why? because listing tasks has
many wonderful benefits. According
to Dr. Daniel levitin, a professor of
neuroscience and the author of
the organized mind, writing things
down allows you to clear them from
your mind, which in turn frees up
neuro resources—think the little
voice in your head that keeps
reminding you to pay your Dtv bill
or clean out the kitchen cupboard.
once tasks are in writing, it becomes
easier to prioritise them, allowing you
to attend to the important stuff first.
list making can also have a calming
effect on your mind by eliminating
the mental juggling that you tend to
engage in while trying to remember a
million things at once (you know the
feeling!). as a result, you will be less
distracted by fleeting thoughts and
be able to focus more on the task at
hand. Furthermore, ticking off items
on a list can be sorta... satisfying. go
ahead, try it out.97