If I want to get something done, it has to go on my daily "Shit To Do" list or it never sees the light of day.

I have a wicked daily list. So far, it only covers Monday through Friday. If I have to do something on the weekend, it goes at the end of Friday’s list. I can’t bear the thought of a weekend list…unless it includes things that I must purchase. I know this sounds intense, but I’ll be the first to admit that I get really stressed when I forget something. Really stressed.

I am not a fan of forgetting things.When something goes into my “lost thought vortex” it is almost impossible to retrieve voluntarily. It's the common symptom of extreme multitasking.  You can try certain cues to draw it out but what usually happens is that it surfaces when you least expect it. Like dinner with friends you’ll find yourself suddenly blurting out, “OMG, I forgot to get the health form signed for travel soccer”, or, “Shit, I was supposed to drop off my car for servicing yesterday” and so on.

You have to be careful when making a list of falling victim to List Anxiety. I usually feel this around my friend Karen. Her list is always bigger than mine and it triggers an “I must have forgot something” twitch that can stay with me for hours. Let's call it the Short List Syndrome.

But now that I think about it, what's so bad about having a short list? Sometimes it's good to forget to forget.