Since starting this blog I’ve realized I’m not alone in my list-making compulsion!  Many people have reached out saying they are also list freaks.  But with that said — we are actually on to something here.  List making is actually good for your brain!

I want to thank my very first guest blogger — memory expert Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D — for this entry!

Why List Making Will Save Your Brain

By Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D

Cynthia R. Green Ph.D.

Memory tools, such as list making, force us to pay closer attention to the information we need to remember, and they give that information meaning by placing it an organizational scheme. In addition, they let us control what we need to remember by giving us the opportunity to review it.

Here are my top five reasons why list making is beneficial:

1. Lists get us to pay attention to things we need to remember. Using lists, just like using any technique to boost your brainpower, will focus your attention more actively on the information you need to remember. Why? When we work with information, we pay closer attention to it.

2. Lists help us remember the things we need to remember — but not memorize. Read more