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May 2010  |  By Liz Logan  |  Comments

Live by the List

Most people have a to-do list—stuck to the refrigerator, on the desk, in the PDA. It’s a great way to stay on task, keep priorities straight and clear your head.

But other kinds of lists can serve even greater functions.

“Lists help to balance you,” says Gayl Walder of Highland Park, a certified yoga instructor who makes lists every chance she can. “I like to be in control of everything, but things happen that you can’t control, and you can either fight it or embrace it.”

And she would know, because her life seemed out of control when she tested positive for the BRCA gene, which can increase the risk of breast cancer by up to 90 percent. A mother of four, Walder elected to have a double mastectomy and hysterectomy.

One thing that helped her regain control was making a positive/negative list—the positive side being what you’re grateful for and the negative side being things that make you feel unhappy or uncomfortable.

Then, she recommends taking a hard look at the negative side of the list and thinking about how to turn those things into positives; writing each transformation down. The exercise can help you embrace change, Walder says.

Sounds like a list worth adding to your to-dos.

Gayl Walder is owner and founder of Ahimsa Global Yoga in Deerfield.