Listful Thinking - Using Lists to be More Productive, Highly Successful, and Less Stressed - Hardcover 2014

by Paula Rizzo

What do Madonna, Martha Stewart, John Lennon, Ellen DeGeneres, Ben Franklin, Ronald Reagan, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, and Johnny Cash have in common? Each is (or was) a list maker. These successful people, along with CEOs and successful entrepreneurs, all use lists to keep track of their ideas, thoughts, and tasks. Finding enough hours in the day to get everything accomplished and allow for some downtime can be a struggle It's no wonder so many of us are stressed, overextended, and exhausted. More than half of all American employees feel overwhelmed, according to a study by the nonprofit Family and Work Institute. For the 54 percent of us who feel like we’re chasing our own tails, Listful Thinking is here to prove that it doesn't have to be that way. You can still find time to relax, read a good book, and do the things you love. Listful Thinking is the book that will give readers their lives back with indispensible tips on saving time, getting organized, improving productivity, saving money, and reducing stress.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Productivity, Audiobook, Business, Personal Development, Adult

Hardcover

First published January 13, 2015

About the author

Paula Rizzo is an Emmy-award winning television producer, best-selling author and a media trainer, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, a columnist for Writer's Digest and contributor to WPIX in New York City. She coaches authors, experts and executives to perform better on camera and produce their own videos.

She's the founder of ListProducer.com and author of Listful Thinking: Using Lists to be More Productive, Highly Successful and Less Stressed, as well as Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You.

Paula is working on fiction. She’s a frequent speaker and media contributor - see more at PaulaRizzo.com

Reviews

[Basanja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Nook version.

First, lists are difficult for me. I need How to Make, Use, and Not Loose a List 101. I thought this might be the book; especially, when early on there's an exercise in list making. It's the only one. The topic never comes up again.

This book is for the extroverted, affluent, busy person with friends, family, goals and dreams. It is not for the introvert, SAHM, without friends or extended family, or a blog, living paycheck to paycheck. Instead of goal setting for a family vacation (no, I've never used a travel agent. pg 79), I'm wondering if I can buy milk next week. It's not that bad, but you get the idea. I don't have a closet full of clothes where I must make a detailed list of my outfits the night before for my busy day tomorrow. I have 3 pairs of pants I can wear in public. None are dry cleaned.

This book is abstract list ideas, and only one concrete illustration of what a list can look like. I'm an over thinker so sometimes the most easy to do things are the most difficult. Lists are a prime example.

Name dropping movies and celebrities got old. I live under a rock. I don't know who these people are, nor do I care. Oprah? My only clear memory of her is where she pulled a wagon of fat across the stage. She's still around? Ok. She had a friend named Gayle. She a celebrity now too? News to me. I couldn't pick the woman out if my life depended on it.

With this assumption I'm rich and pretty and important and busy too, this is coming across as rather like those financial advice columns telling me to stop my daily Starbucks habit so I too can be rich. No, I can't afford an iPhone either for digital list making. I use an old desktop hardwired into the wall. I'm grateful for it because it's paid for and doesn't cost $100 a month to use Evernote. The apps listed in Chapter 8 (don't worry about remembering which chapter, you're reminded several times before Chapter 8. It's is the most important chapter after all as it's mentioned frequently.) are found with about 2 minutes in Google.

Perhaps I don't really needs lists in my life because there's nothing to do. My biggest chores today (that didn't get done): putting the reusable grocery bags back into the car and cleaning out some of the fridge. Multiple errands in a day? I have perhaps a couple errands a week, if I'm super busy. Like swamped busy. Oh I know, let me hire an assistant! Do you think they'll work for milk money?

All in all I found this book to not be helpful or realistic. In fact, it made me more depressed bringing to light how insignificant my life truly is by rich, busy, New Yorker standards needing to hire assistants to free them up for the next big idea. My next big decision? Chocolate or cookies 'n cream?

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm always on the hunt to be more productive and looking for some new tip that I haven't heard of yet. Unfortunately, I didn't find it in this book.

Since I'm already a list maker, there really wasn't anything new here. A few resources for online apps and task outsourcing services (most of which I'm already familiar with, and some already out of date since the book is a few years old). Not many actual examples of checklists that one can use as a template to personalize and make their own. The few examples she does include aren't really going to have mass appeal (checklist for a destination wedding, anyone?)

Overall: meh.

[Garette Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Listful Thinking" is full of tips and trick to getting things done. My biggest fear as a list maker is not actually getting it done. I think many people suffer from this paralysis. "Listful Thinking" puts you in touch with management apps to help keep lists up to date and where you are. As an artist and designer it keeps me on track and productive. Many people have a misconception that creatives are not organized or focused. I believe the artists of today are some of the most goal oriented people. If they don't benefit from lists it's because they never learned how to use them. This book will show, quickly and easily how to get the best use from them.

It is important to think about where you want to go in life and cross off those missions every day, even in small ways. Paula has a "Life" list for this. I follow Paula's blog and really enjoy the style of her writing as much as the information. One valuable lesson I have learned from Paula is that there is no task too great or small that a proper list won't get accomplished. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.

[Darcie Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'm an avid list maker for my career and personal life, Paula Rizzo included new ways of thinking through list making that has helped me tremendously. "Listful Thinking" is fantastic for people like me, who sometimes feel overwhelmed and need smart list making skills to ease the load & become more productive. The author includes great tips on time management, backtiming (loved this!), outsourcing and list making in the digital world. Not a list maker? You will be blown away at what you are missing and how smart this practice is for every aspect of your life. I've already changed a few habits by using Paula's suggestions and I'm already seeing success. I know I will be using this book every day and I'm buying everyone on my staff a copy. Love it ! It's my new favorite personal development tool.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not what I expected. My mum reviews books and passed on an ARC copy for me when I started my new job (I'm notoriously unorganized). Slightly patronizing, I thought, I'm an adult, I can use a list. But the book was surprisingly useful. It's one of those books that takes a prosaically simple subject and goes in directions you never thought possible. Lists seem so obvious, everyone scrawls a shopping list on an old receipt, but there's so much more! I know this may seem a bit over the top for a book about lists and don't get me wrong, it wasn't an epiphany, but it was really, really useful and I'd recommend to anyone who is prone to discord and chaos.

[Jan-Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Die Frage für welche Zielgruppe dieses Buch geschrieben ist kann ich beim besten willen nicht beantworten. Wenn man noch wenig Informationen über das Thema Listen machen hat, kann man hier einige nützliche Tipps finden, die man aber auch nach 1 bis 2 Stunden Googeln auf irgendwelchen "productivity"-blogs gefunden hat oder sich sonst auch in passenden youtube Videos aneignen kann. Wie schon von anderen erwähnt sind einige Empfehlungen für Apps leider schon veraltet und die Qualität der anderen Tipps schwankt zwischen "danke wäre ich nicht drauf gekommen" (Wetterbericht beachten, wenn man für eine Reise packt) und komplett "out of touch" (Umzugsfirma beauftragen wenn man einen Weihnachtsbaum aufstellen will!). Auch stößt mir der Grundtenor des Buches auf da er den Eindruck immer mehr immer schneller dies das Leistung erweckt (Gut zu erkennen an der Meinung der Autorin zum Film limitless, auf die sie an einer Stelle kurz eingeht). Alles in allem bin ich mit diesem Buch echt nicht warm geworden und hätte lieber einen Buchratschlag befolgt: einen Praktikanten einstellen der es dann für mich ließt.

[Naeema Alaradi · Rating 5 out of 5]

أنا فتاة قوائم بامتياز .. قوائم للسفر و للبقالة و للحفلات .. قوائم المهام و قوائم الكتب .. احببت هذا الكتاب كثيرا و أحببت الافكار التي فيه .. بالطبع لن استفيد من بعض النقاط الخاصة بالتطبيقات الالكترونية و لكنه رائع و يناسبني تماما :)

[Margaret Tasset · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Listful Thinking" by Paula Rizzo is a fabulous book for anyone. It has great ideas about being more productive and using ones time in a more efficient way. It also has some great suggestions for apps to use with smart phones and tablets. It is great for explaining how to use lists to help you in making your life easier, less stressful, more productive as well as more successful. I have made several very positive changes in my life since reading the book and I know anyone who reads it also will make changes in their life as well. I have really learned alot about using lists to make my life better. Many thanks to Paula Rizzo and congratulations to her on writing this amazing book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you an organized person who still gets overwhelmed from time to time? I feel your pain! Luckily, Paula Rizzo's "Listful Thinking" offers a fresh approach and NEW tricks to staying on top of your schedule no matter what life throws at you. As a health and fitness blogger, I'm always encouraging people to do things that make you feel better physically, emotionally and mentally. Along with healthy eating and exercise, I encourage you to read this book and give your over-taxed brain some help!

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books about organization are my porn and this one was very useful, with its suggestions about prioritizing and electronic resources to help with organization, and its tips about the kinds of lists to make.

[Zephyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

This book is filled with some useful tips but could have been a little better formatted.

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent take on lists. Rizzo covers how she uses lists in a variety of contexts. Note that she actually talks about lists for some specific purposes that she has used in her life, including wedding planning and destination trip planning lists. While I suspect I won’t need that specific expertise in my future, I did like how she described the kinds of things on the lists – and that could be used for other lists. I also appreciated her discussions of digital tools. While this kind of topic can age badly, her discussion is at a level where this still seems pretty fresh a year and a half after it was published. There was a bit of celebrity fluff here, but not overwhelming and it did add to the proceedings. Good for a person who already uses lists to peek into another listmaker’s post it notes/memo books/Evernote notebooks. Very brief, but that is good for this one. And often told in list format. Author’s website, listproducer.com, is also well done and adds to the story.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the perfect read for anyone who needs a productivity boost. If you are feeling overwhelmed and don't know how to get back on your feet "Listful Thinking" is for you. As a college student, I have found myself procrastinating way too much on assignments and feeling absolutely crazy trying to cram in everything the night before. Although I'm a very organized person, Listful Thinking taught me how to correctly make a list and complete it . You will learn a ton of organizational skills and tricks to stay on top of your game. I no longer have the creeping feeling that I have missed doing an important task. I strongly recommend this book for anybody and everybody! It's a great read and will benefit your life!

[Ann Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paula Rizzo really nails the importance of list-making in this bright, refreshing book. I love the research that she incorporates and wide variety of inspiring list-making ideas. As a Productivity Consultant, I am constantly telling people about the critical need for a great To Do List. I am so glad to see a book dedicated to lists! I also love that Paula's style is so genuine and practical. Great job Paula!

[Sue Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let it be known that I am a compulsive list maker - I have always done them and probably always will. I don't make frivolous lists mind you - my lists are for things to be done or are upcoming to be done or are things I want to try to do, or for menu planning or Christmas gift planning - but all in all are lists to keep me on track and be conscious of time and money. (I think that's why I love Goodreads - to keep track of my books read and to be able to add books on a list of ones to be read. Plus I get the added advantage of spilling my thoughts about the book afterwards).

So that being said - this book was a little like preaching to the congregation for me. I get it. I know the importance of checking off the little parts in order to get the big picture done - on time ... on budget ... to keep your sanity in check and for me these days, to keep your memory from dropping out of existence until after the fact. (Menopause sucksssssssssssss. Well, that's what I'm blaming it all on anyways). I have made lists for as long as I can remember - and going back to them some years make me amazed at how incredibly industrious I was and others at how pathetically my days became (once the babies came). But I always listed. Always. So I wanted to see if there was anything out there new to try or a new angle to see or do lists.

There isn't.

The whole premise of this book is to make the unconverted sign up to become consummate list makers as well as what this will give those 'list-virgins' in the way of productivity and success in all the tasks they endeavor to do. There are some interesting shout outs to some industry processes (pilots, television) about the importance of check lists and how implementing them has made those said processes safer and smoother - and that is all true. Especially when you're relying on a number of people to complete said tasks as a team. When everyone has the list, it's pretty obvious to see where the fail point is when there is a crisis or things go awry.

But when these lists are for your personal use only, it really comes down to you. How often you do them, how detailed you make them, how often you consult them. All these things will make a difference to how smoothly your life is - or seems. But it won't take away everything .. the stress and the endless chores and tasks. You'll just get better at handling them and managing your time (and money). I agree with her that some things can be outsourced too - but for the average person, that reality is just not feasible. There was just a little too much of a New-York-thing there, where there are probably endless possibilities for such frivolous possibilities of having someone else do stuff for you for a price (because there is always a price).

I do have to say that Ms. Rizzo has a wee bit of a problem. Her list making is - well - out. of. control. When you have to make lists of things for you and your friends to talk about when you get together there is a problem. Honestly. Talk about complete lack of spontaneity .... Ms Rizzo is a little like an auto-tron with her lists. Planning a girls night out is one thing. Making a list on what to talk about on said night is quite another.

Anyways, that's really neither here not there. The message is that lists are an important tool and can really add more time and money to your life. They can help you create a sense of control and understanding of where you put your time and money and where those commodities go. But it won't solve it all. Some days those lists are pushed to the bottom of your bag as you slip into your chair at the end of your day because life does get in the way and no amount of list making is going to change that.

Regardless - lists are good and they can make a difference to everything, the least of which is the level of your consciousness to what happens in your day!

[Kelly]

I guess if you've never made lists before this could be useful, as it's definitely 101. Rizzo's tone is kind of annoying after a while, too, and her privilege sure shows (so many apps and so many ways to outsource -- great if you have the money or time to do that so you can move on to "more important things" like organizing your fall sweater collection by color).

But it was nice to know some of the things I do make lists about, like things I want to tell someone when I think of them, isn't a me-only thing.

This is a borrow-from-the-library book. No need to pay for it.

[Arianny Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What incredible insight to productivity Paula Rizzo has. This book is a must read for all. As a working mom, I found that her tips help me get the most out of my day.

[Marnely Rodriguez-Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book if you love making lists - not just love it, but HAVE to have lists in your life. Paula gets you organized and teaches you how to make productive lists!

[Nathan Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to this book was a pleasant diversion, and the book was short, and one of the benefits of listening to a book like this (or reading it, if you choose), is to find plenty of material to read that the author references.  My own feelings about this book are somewhat mixed to positive, in that the author's politics, fondness of Oprah, and some of her software choices (like her love of Asana) are somewhat irksome and irritating, although thankfully there are plenty of areas where we agree a great deal, such as our shared love of making lists and enjoying the lists made by others [1].  It is hard to exaggerate just how much time I spend dealing with lists, whether it comes with making my own shopping list or lists of books I want to read at the library or lists of things I want to accomplish, or whether it involves the lists of best or worst songs of a given year that I enjoy listening to from various music critics.  Lists enrich my life and this book does a good job at dealing with them.

The author's use of lists goes back a long way, and in this audiobook, which is three discs long and read by the author, we see the way that lists can serve to make life better.  The author includes a lot of examples from her personal life, including a humorous list about housing needs and wants that helped her to find a good place to move to upon the urging of her husband, as well as various approaches to lists that allow one to outsource one's thinking to others.  Indeed, a great deal of this book advocates people to outsource as much as possible of their lives to others to save time and frustration, and to focus on what they do best.  A large part of the book also deals with the applications that people can use in order to simplify their life and remember more information--some of which, like Pintrest and Goodreads, I don't tend to think of as list sites.  Be that as it may, this book was a lot more expansive about lists and it was certainly very energetic in its appeal to lists as a way of making one's thinking more routine and therefore more reliable and accurate, and whatever quirks the author has this book is generally enjoyable to read or listen to.

That is not to say that the book was perfect, though.  Readers who do not have as high an opinion of Oprah as the author does will find much to be annoyed at in this particular book.  The author also is guilty perhaps of a bit of oversharing about her personal life, including her struggles to get the dry-cleaning done and her left-handedness, which at least made her more relatable to me, so I am not sure I would consider that a problem.  The author's use of pilots as an example where checklists are extremely common reminded me that there is a downside to lists as well.  While there are many useful and important aspects of lists, we cannot pretend that lists provide us with a complete understanding of something, for they tend to emphasize what is quantifiable and easy to evaluate.  While these aspects of life are very common and lists are useful in routinizing these parts of our existence, we cannot assume that they provide complete understanding. Simply because we can use a checklist to ask a lot of questions about something does not mean that we have a firm or complete knowledge of what we are making a list about, and that is something we would do well to remember even if we use lists often and should use them more.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

[Julianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original remarks (12/31/20): I will review this tomorrow but I COMPLETED MY READING CHALLENGE WHAT.

Actual thoughts on this book (1/2/2021):

Things That Make My Organizing Little Heart Happy:
-Lists
-Books
-Books about lists

I decided to read this book because the title makes me happy. I didn't know anything about the author, but I saw the title and went, "Listful thinking? YES PLEASE." I'm an obsessive list-maker already, so I figured I should see if she had any tips to help me leverage that more effectively.

Minor Downsides
Listful Thinking is a quick and informative read. As you can see from my rating, though, I didn't really feel like it was five-star worthy for me. Here's why:

1) She's a huge believer in the fact that if you put things out into the universe they will manifest, which was a little weird, both from a worldview standpoint but also from a productivity standpoint. However, it didn't affect the substance of the book too much so I could ignore it.

2) If you're already someone who uses lists regularly (read: me), there's not a lot here for you to learn.

3) If you're someone who doesn't use lists, there's so much here that it's probably going to be overwhelming.

My Key Takeaways
All in all, I didn't learn a *ton* from this book, but I did pick up some thoughts/tips that were worth remembering and implementing. Such as:

-List-making is about living thoughtfully, not trying to control things.

-Have one central place where you can write things down as SOON as you think of them (or one place per location: one for work and one for home)

-Always add the daily, easy tasks to your lists. Life happens and you don't want to forget- plus, you give yourself the satisfaction of checking more off your list! (I have done this in the past, but not super faithfully).

-The goal of writing things down can vary based on your list, or change during the project. A list can serve multiple functions, including help you to 1) organize your thoughts 2) prioritize tasks 3) remember things or 4) delegate.

-Give yourself grace & make the first list a draft. Get the thoughts out of your head so they don't take up space and stress, then organize it later.

-She isn't kidding when she says she makes lists for EVERYTHING. I am in awe of her ideas and will be implementing several of them. I'm especially excited about her gift list/gift log. This is something I needed but didn't know I needed.

Unexpected Outcomes
In the two days since I've read this book, there have been some unexpected side effects. If you're thinking of reading this book, be aware that after reading I...
... Compulsively bought notebooks from Target because I NEED MORE SPACE FOR LISTS
... Recommended that my Dad download Evernote (& he did!)
... Started making lists for tons of things, like the gift log, the next 50 books I want to read, and even the points I wanted to make in this review. (Okay, this outcome was maybe a tiny bit expected, but still!)

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it helped me complete my reading challenge for 2020 so that was a win! Just go into it understanding that it's probably *not* going to change your life quite as much as promised if you already use lists semi-effectively.

[Angela Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like to make lists? Are you looking for a way to organize your life? Then take a look at this book. For myself I enjoy making lists and am always looking for way to improve on this. I actually listened to the audio version of this book and it went rather quickly. You may want to have a pen handy to take a few notes as the author gives you some good resources. I have actually requested the book from the library as well so I can take a look at the apps and websites the author mentioned again. I am glad I took the time to listened to the book as it was enjoyable and informative. I have also start to follow the author on her blog. So if you are a list maker like me be sure to check this book out. I know I will probably be reading and using the tips over and over again.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on being organized and writing lists. I am a list-maniac (if there is such a word) and I love making lists of everything - book TBRs, shopping lists, TODO lists, movies to watch list, music to download list. You name it and I have a list written somewhere for it. Haha. So this book was tailor made for people like me. Even though I am super organized already, I got some more ideas about apps and tips to maintain lists. Definitely worth checking out if you like writing lists. I just wish she had provided more sample lists in this book. She could have given some concrete examples by walking us through the process of writing lists. A practical example of how she would go about planning for a trip would have been useful.

[Courtney Reads Stuff]

I don't know what I was actually expecting with this book, but it ended sort of leaving me less fulfilled. I knew that it was about lists, but I think that the being "more productive" and "less stressed" keys words were the phrases that pulled me in. I guess that most of the things that she has said are things that I am already doing.

I learned about a couple of new apps that I didn't know about, so that is good. I listened to the audiobook and Paula has a bubbly voice that makes it easy to sprint through this one. That is also a good thing. Not a bad book, I guess, for the newcomer that has not done much list making.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love lists. I love crossing out items from a list when I've completed them. I have different journals that just house different types of lists.

This book did not bring anything new to the table. It could've been cut down to a short list as follows:

1. Make lists for everything.
2. Yes, everything.
3. Start now.

Side criticism: Why does she have a whole section about making a list of what to say if you meet a celebrity? Really?

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. If you’re already a list maker, there probably isn’t a lot new for you here. The book includes a lot of advertising for the author’s blog, but the real clincher for me was the endorsement of The Secret about 1/3 of the way through.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m already a list maker, so the repeated mantra of “make a list” wasn’t very helpful. Honestly, just skip to the section near the end that recommends some useful apps.

[Saima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glazomania - unusual fascination with making lists. Lots of ideas about different types of lists, time management and general organization. Excellent list of resources from websites to apps.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a list maker and productivity addict, I was drawn to this book immediately. I didn't find much that was new to me in it, but it did inspire me to keep up with my listing ways. There were some sections that didn't fit me at all (the way we plan trips, for example, is very different) but on the whole I enjoyed reading the author's suggestions and methods for staying organized.

[Suzanne Gibbs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many of the APPS mentioned are out of date or do not exist. Too many of the ideas are not new. I wanted to like this book, I read every page... I am an avid list maker... but this book fell short of my expectations for new ideas! I will donate the book to our local library, hopefully a few other people might get tips from this book.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I settled on the name Listful for a project I’m working on and came across this book when I was doing research. I thought I’d buy it because (1) it has the same word in the title and (2) maybe I could learn something useful from it. I did not learn useful information from it.

This book reads like a Vanessa Bauer doing impression of a rich lady on SNL. The information presented in this book is a summary of existing resources at best, hand-wavy at average, and terrible advice at worst (for example, suggesting passwords through Asana...don’t do that).

I think the part that pissed me off the most was the part about outsourcing — she mentions how outsourcing helped someone save half a million dollars, which... I don’t even have half a million dollars to save, Paula. And then she has the audacity to suggests getting an intern because “interns are usually free labor”.