The Power of Lists
Why They Work (And Sometimes Don’t)
In our fast-paced lives - balancing work, wellbeing, performance and everything in between - a simple tool often gets overlooked: the list. At Moco Coaching we are big believers in practical tools that anchor your day, sharpen your focus and build momentum. Making lists is one of the most accessible-yet under-appreciated-methods available.
Let’s explore why lists work, how to use them well and where they can fall short.
Why Lists Are So Effective
Structure and Clarity
When tasks swirl in your mind, they create background noise. Lists help by externalising that noise-putting your tasks, intentions and priorities onto paper or screen. Psychology tells us that this brain-relief is real: when you write down what you need to do, you ease the anxiety that comes from “everything I mustn’t forget”. The Guardian+2back-to-health.co.uk+2
The act of listing gives you a map for your day or week; you can see what matters, what’s next and what you’ve already done.
2. Motivation Through Progress
A ticked-off item is not just done—it’s proof of action. That little check or strikethrough has a disproportionately positive effect on motivation. Research shows that completing items on to-do lists provides satisfaction and can boost your drive to do more. Psychology Today+1
At Moco Coaching we often frame progress as momentum. Lists give momentum a visible form.
3. Focus and Prioritisation
With a list you are forced to decide what matters now versus what can wait. One study notes that lists help your mind stop fussing over unfinished tasks and let you concentrate on the one you’re doing. Student Life
In performance and wellbeing contexts, this ability to focus on one thing rather than many helps reduce mental clutter and anxiety.
4. Wellbeing Benefits
Beyond productivity, lists can boost wellbeing. By externalising tasks, you reduce cognitive load and the stress of trying to “remember everything”. Recent summaries say list-making improves concentration, memory recall and reduces stress. back-to-health.co.uk
When you feel in control and organised, you free up more mental energy for growth, creativity and rest-things we help you prioritise at Moco.
5. UK-Relevant Insight
In the UK, listing appears deeply embedded in daily habits. A survey found the average adult writes 156 to-do lists a year and 74% believed they remembered things better when written down.
That tells us: the habit is popular and we’re doing something instinctively right when we list.
Where Lists Can Let Us Down (and What to Do)
While lists are powerful, they are not magic. Here are some pitfalls we help our clients recognise - and how you might avoid them.
Over-listing = overwhelm
A list that’s too long, too vague or always “pending” can actually increase stress. If you feel like you’re never keeping up, the list becomes a reminder of unfinished business rather than progress. One UK article on lists points out that for procrastinators a to-do list can make things worse. palife.co.uk
At Moco we promote the use of closed lists (set number of items) or chunked lists (small categories) to avoid this.
2. Lists without prioritisation lose value
A list of 20 tasks with no sense of order often becomes a checkbox nightmare. If everything is “urgent” then nothing is. One study advises splitting daily lists into manageable chunks rather than vague “what needs doing eventually” lists.
We recommend using a “Top 3” each day: the three tasks that will move you forward meaningfully.
3. Rigid lists can stifle flexibility
Life rarely flows exactly as planned. Sometimes a rigid list means you’re adapting poorly to change. If your list is written at 8 am and by 10 am half your day is different, you might feel you’ve “failed”.
At Moco we encourage dynamic lists: something you review midday or at the end of the day-adjusting so you’re aligned with your energy, mood and external demands.
4. Lists can become illusions of action
Checking a box doesn’t not always equal meaningful progress. Sometimes we list low-value tasks because they’re easy, just to feel productive. But if none of them moves you closer to a bigger outcome, you might be working hard for little return.
This ties into the wider UK productivity problem: studies show the UK’s productivity growth has been weak over many years. The Productivity Institute+1 And that is a discussion for another post.
At Moco we ask: “Does this list item align with my goal, health and potential?” If not, we either drop it or reframe it.
How to Use Lists Effectively (Moco Coaching Style)
Here’s a simple framework we use with clients to harness lists for performance, wellbeing and growth:
Start with WHY: Ask what your purpose is for the day/week. What outcome matters most?
Create your Top 3: Identify three tasks that, if done, would give you a sense of real progress.
Break it Down: For each top task, list sub-tasks if needed. This turns big items into manageable steps.
Use “Closed Lists”: Limit your list to a set number of items (e.g., no more than 7 tasks).
Schedule it: Block times in your calendar for tasks rather than leaving “sometime later”.
Review and Reflect: At day’s end ask: did the list work? What changed? What will I do differently tomorrow?
Be Kind to Yourself: If you don’t finish - it’s not failure. It’s feedback. Adapt your list for what you learnt about your energy, rhythm and day.
Why It All Matters
In a world full of distractions, endless demands and rising stress, lists give us a safe base. They help us anchor our identity (who we are), our purpose (what matters) and our action (what we will do). At Moco Coaching we believe performance isn’t just about doing more - it’s about doing better, with clarity, alignment and resilience.
When you build a simple list, you build more than tasks - you build intention. You build momentum. You build confidence. And you build space for growth.
Moving Forward
Make your list tomorrow morning.
Write it down.
Check it off.
Feel how the act of writing becomes an act of declaring: “I am choosing this.”
Then at the end of the day ask: “What worked? What will I do differently?” Let the list become your ally, not your critic.
Because at Moco Coaching we know this: when you align your body, your brain and your action - that’s where real change happens.