I’m a list person. It has become a ritual for clarity and prioritizing – a safe and efficient way to stay on top of things without having to actually remember them. My list-obsession began in college, and little did I know I was, inadvertently, honing a major skill for my upcoming career in Account Service. Everything would make it onto my small magnetic erase board – from studying for finals and emergency laundry reminders to credit card payments and assignment deadlines. As a young student experiencing life on her own for the first time, my lists brought order to my chaos, gave me a sense of comfort and kept me from procrastinating.
And they still do so today. As an Account Executive, I’m a multitasker on steroids. Managing daily client correspondence, last-minute requests and unexpected changes on top of everyday office tasks can be overwhelming. Lists help me focus. They help me prioritize my tasks so that I can open and schedule jobs accordingly, coordinate with everyone involved in a project (making sure everyone is happy and has what they need), keeping track of billing, production, media and, now, writing this blog.
I’m not saying that lists are the key to everything, but they sure help ease the process. My notepad is my right-hand man and the lists I write on are the tiny little voices in my head neatly transcribed, organized, alphabetized and outlined for easy access (literally, it sits to my right on my desk, ALWAYS). Email bombardment before 9 o’clock? No problem. Edits must be sent to the client before your next breath? DONE. Postage payment drama? Solved. Most of all, my lists are finite. They allow me to reach a conclusion. To finish something. And to have peace of mind when I go home (almost every night) having proudly scratched off that last item from my list and off my mind.
And today, it was this blog post.
I’m an AE. And I’m a list person.