Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or not, making a list of things you want to accomplish can be really beneficial.

When you commit something to the page, all of a sudden you’re accountable. That to-do list is just asking to be fulfilled. When you look at your goals laid out in writing before you, you’re more likely to take action. And your goals and intentions will remain top-of-mind. This and a can-do attitude will bring you into alignment with the positive vibes that will bring the sort of support you need, in friends, experts, insight, and inspiration, that will help you achieve your goals.

From a practical perspective, making a list presents you with a clear sense of what you need to get done. With this clarity, you’re less likely to get frazzled and overwhelmed. And when you’re operating from this organized place, you’ll work with more efficiency.

We live in a world where our concentration can be diverted at any moment. In this climate of shortened attention spans, list-making can focus us and simply help us remember what it is we’re trying to accomplish. So many good ideas never make it to fruition because they’re gone before they’re even written down. Making a list can help you keep that idea or task from falling into the forgotten black hole.

Finally, perhaps the best thing about making a list is being able to cross things off of it. Making it through your to-do list undoubtedly elicits a sense of accomplishment. You enjoy the feeling of freedom from all the tasks you wanted to complete but you’re also enjoying the fruits of your labors, whether your list consisted of small everyday to-dos or big lifelong pursuits.