Average Brit writes 156 to-do lists a year

THE average adult writes 156 to-do lists a year to help them get by – with more than a third claiming they would be lost without them.

A poll of 2,000 people found 21 per cent would struggle to get anything done with a list of shopping to buy, work tasks or DIY jobs that need ticking off, either on paper or digitally.

And 74 per cent admit they are more likely to remember to do something if it’s in writing.

While for 41 per cent, reaching for a pen or their phone is key to achieving goals – as it's a declaration they will do something.

It also emerged 68 per cent turn to lists to feel organised, and 51 per cent do so to be in-control.

Shahbaz Khan from STABILO, which commissioned the research as part of its ‘Start Beginning’ campaign encouraging people to start something new, said: “Evidently, we all rely on lists for one aspect of life or another.

“Writing a list is a pivotal moment in taking action to start something new, whether that’s starting a dream project or the simple act of writing down a goal.

“We all know how busy it can feel when juggling work, family, finances alongside the day-to-day of shopping, meal prep and schedules.

“Whether it’s a colourful array of sticky notes stuck to cupboards and worktops, or a bright highlighter to make your list actions stick out, it seems writing things down has a positive effect.

“It can be motivating to see a list of things in front of you to tick off and it’s no wonder people are more likely to work through them than if they were simply in their heads.”;

The research also found women are almost twice as likely as men to regularly write lists – 43 per cent compared to 24 per cent.

But of all those polled, an average of three lists a week are made, equating to 9,766 over the course of an adult lifetime.

And despite 66 per cent believing the art of writing things down is dying out, with 74 per cent of those blaming phones for taking over, 53 per cent actually prefer handwritten lists.

More than two thirds (68 per cent) even went as far as claiming they are more likely to remember to do things if it’s in hand writing.

As a result, 63 per cent typically write lists on a notepad, while 40 per cent do on their phone and 24 per cent rely on a sticky note.

It also emerged the average adult currently has two unfinished lists on the go, with the most popular being food shopping (75 per cent), general life admin (52 per cent) and a packing checklist (45 per cent).

Others often jot down what they need to get done during their working day (36 per cent), a track of appointments they need to make (36 per cent) and gifts they need to buy (36 per cent).

The OnePoll data also revealed that while 47 per cent of workers update their to-do list over the course of the week, an organised 24 per cent jot down a new one each day.

With the morning (29 per cent) the most popular time to write a list, with 15 per cent preferring to do so in the evening.

Shahbaz Khan, from STABILO, added: “There must be something in the fact it’s satisfying to tick things off when handwritten, rather than deleting them from a phone.

“It’s great to see people still rely on putting pen to paper to feel focused, especially in the digital age and we’re delighted to be a facilitator of this”;.