Oh man, I like making lists. Do I ever like making lists. Sometimes on a Post-It note, or more likely on my iPhone. For daily lists, I like the iPhone Calendar, which I can synch up to the iCal software on our iMac, and for long-term projects, I love the Appigo ToDo application, which lets me make all sorts of lists.

I created my latest list to help me get myself organized and more productive and ultimately — most importantly — more healthy. Here’s the list, then I’ll explain more:

Daily Stuff To Do:

• Jog 1 to 1 1/2 miles [I’m just starting out, don’t laugh!]
• 50 crunches, 25 pushups [see bracketed stuff for bullet 1, okay?]
• Write or revise at least 1500 words
• Eat right!
• Write 1 journal entry
• Write 4-6 tweets
• Walk 1/2 an hour (with Whit)
• Read for 1-2 hours

That’s in addition to working 5 days a week, with the requisite commute (usually an hour a day, all told, unless I WAH — work at home — which I try to do every other week or so).

I didn’t include stuff like “Play with the boys” or “Hang out and chat with Lizzie,” but those activities are just as important in my day. But those are things I do anyway — some of the stuff on my to-do list are new, so I need reminders.

Those bullets sort of represent my typical weekday — getting up early, jogging, writing, then fitting in the rest of the stuff before I run out of daylight (and energy). I realized that if I go jogging first thing in the morning, like at 5 a.m., and get it out of the way, I’m way more productive, alert, and happy with myself. Same goes for eating better.

You may have noticed that nasty word tweet in my list above. Yep, I’ve gotten back on with “the Twitter.” For the fourth time (I kept deleting, then reactivating my account). Along with writing more journals, I wanted to keep in touch with people with Twitter, and also figure out how other people and companies are using Twitter. I don’t want to be left out in the cold, technology-wise.

But I only get to write a journal entry and send my short little Twitter messages (“tweets”) if I get my minimum writing done for the day. The writing comes first. And today I stuck to the plan by revising the opening two scenes of my YA fantasy novel, and I can’t wait to get back to it. Lots of fun to be had with that book! Magic books, mysterious shop owners, and pesky twin brothers, plus stuff that explodes.

In the meantime, drop by and cheer me on with my jogging — I’m hoping to jog at least 25 miles this month (I already have, um, 3 miles under my belt for June). I need to stick with it and make it a habit — apparently if you do something for three weeks, consecutively, it becomes a habit. Here’s hoping! Maybe I’ll even hit 30 miles for the month… That’ll keep me on track for hitting 100 miles jogged by the end of September.