lists don't take you everywhere

do you ever get the sense that you list so much on your to-do list but end up doing so little?

i'm trying this thing where, when ideas come to mind, like little chores, i do them instead of noting them down for later.

i got so many little things done today because of this. i feel like when i list tasks, they somehow feel partly finished to me, and i end up being lax at actually doing them. weird.

so far i've done a lot of preparing for tomorrow and other random chores, namely:

1. cleaning up and repolishing my nails
2. using my nose strip thing
3. brushing my teeth a second time (im trying to brush three times a day to whiten em; so far i only remember to do it twice a day)
4. packing up my bag 
5. queuing two blog posts for tomorrow and the next day
6. fixing my room
7. taking out the trash
8. charging my phone and camera
9. etc

and i do feel like i accomplished a lot. if i listed them down before doing them i don't think i'd have done them all. so even though i was really itching to list them down because i felt like i was going to forget some if i don't, i resisted and mentally checked them off instead. surprisingly, my brain was able to remind me of things just fine. as long as i kept moving. i'm learning to trust you more, subconscious. yay for our partnership.

i think i'll stick to doing lists for the next day instead of the present day. a bad habit of mine is to pace too much back and forth, gearing myself up to do something. i mentally over-prepare, but i under-do.
listing them down the day before will prepare my subconscious without me having to look at the list again and again while im in the middle of things. i think that's what i did in freshman year anyway. back when i was super productive.