#1 Making Lists

Written by SAPL on July 12th, 2008 in Organization.

List Courtesy of Tada lists
tadalist

List making is the one of the most preferred methods of organizing for Aspies. The typical Asperger guy or gal may spend a lot of time making lists, lists of lists, list of when to make more lists, list of how to organize lists, and so forth.

List making is one of the hallmark traits a neurotypical will give when describing their Aspie friend, family member, or partner. Usually, this is done in a negative way-as if there is a problem with making lists.

Like many other traits the Aspie possesses that may irk his/her neurotypical company, list making is just another way the Asperger organizes his/her life and makes him/her so efficient at doing the things they do so well.

There may be a few times when list making is taken to the extreme. For example, in an episode of Seinfeld, George made a list consisting of “Crib Notes,” in ink on his palm in order to remember how to impress his new romantic interest in bed. “Crib Notes,” on the hand are NOT good lists, and any Aspie (or neurotypical for that matter) should avoid or at least try to reduce making this type of list as much as possible.

Finally, if there was any evidence to show how good lists can be, we only have to look at one very powerful figure in biblical history. That’s right, Moses. He took a simple list, 10 items, and wrote this on a stone tablet. Yet this great organizer performed feats that most neurotypicals and Aspies both could only dream to do.

So the next time an Aspie is questioned or criticized about list making, he or she should remember: Can this person put up with people for 40 years in a hot desert? Are they able to separate seas? If list making puts the Aspie in the company of anyone who can do this, then it’s certainly not a bad habit at all.

Please follow and like us:

12 Responses to “#1 Making Lists”

  1. Stuff Asperger People Like » Blog Archive » Worrying: Working The Wigdala Says:

    […] the times when the Asperger person showed the wigdala who’s boss. It might help to make a list of those events. And that’s where Microsoft Excel comes in handy. With 65,536 rows and 256 […]

  2. Stuff Asperger People Like » Blog Archive » #26 Taking Things Literally Says:

    […] the biggest bonus of all was that the duties involved following lots of “to do” lists, which tickled the student pick. Much pleasure was derived from completing the lists, crossing […]

  3. noah Says:

    great idea to make this. i just came up with the exact same idea and checked to see if someone had beaten me to it. good job. list-making was #2 on my list. #1 was numbers.
    here are the others:
    3. accuracy
    4. reenactments
    5. deep pressure
    6. literalness
    7. associative language
    8. honesty
    9. monocular vision
    10. perseverating
    11. being left alone
    12. data
    13. the internet
    14. inertia
    15. concreteness

    i’ll keep reading. this website is actually not funny so much as useful and informative. especially to people who don’t know much about us.
    don’t you wish there were an aspie goodbye, our own version of “l’chaim!” or “live long and prosper”?
    live long and asperger!

  4. ESP Says:

    When I make lists, it’s because I’m a bit forgetful, even if just to buy 2 or 3 items! Or so that I won’t forget to do the things, by looking at the piece of paper(many times), it reminds me what I should do.

  5. Athena P. Says:

    I’m with ESP. I only make lists when I go grocery shopping and need specific things for a recipe (like parsley and tomatoes), I just need a few things (like bread, cheese, milk, etc.), or there is a sale and I can stock up on basic things. Or if I’m going on a trip and I want to make sure I don’t forget essential things like toothpaste, shampoo, floss, deodorant, or sunscreen. Any other times, I eschew list making. It just isn’t for me.

  6. Renee Horgan Says:

    The list thing for me is an absolute necessity. Problems all my life with processing information, so I have lists and lists of lists of things I need to do, thoughts, ideas, chores, etc.

  7. Renee Horgan Says:

    The list thing for me is an absolute necessity. Problems all my life with processing information, so I make lists and lists of lists of things I need to do, thoughts, ideas, chores, etc. Mostlyl I type them out as my handwriting has always been awful.

  8. Ben Says:

    Nice list but I wonder: is my facination for calendars and calendar making yet another sign of an Aspie?

  9. Regulus Says:

    I love doing lists,

    “List making is one of the hallmark traits a neurotypical will give when describing their Aspie friend, family member, or partner. Usually, this is done in a negative way-as if there is a problem with making lists.”

    That is my mother

  10. Jen Says:

    My son (14) loves making lists…we call it listing. We don’t make a big deal about it, we’ll just ask him what he’s listing today. Things he’s listed in the past were – The white pages, the yellow pages, the cable guide (He’ll go through each and every channel) He’ll list things on the computer. When he’s at stores, he’ll take out his Android and list with it. He enjoys it. I made sure to supply him notebooks for his listing. He even listed while he was on vacation.

  11. Gerj Says:

    I have lists and lists of lists. I am lost without them. Now I use Google Tasks on my phone and have about 6-7 lists there. Hopefully I don’t lose my phone but even if I do, I can access them on a laptop.

  12. Aussie journey Says:

    I make list..lol I never knew why Im almost forty and just learned why I do what I do. My favorite way to make list…. evernote app. I absolutely love it.



Site Navigation