What's wrong with lists? | Dharma Consulting

What’s wrong with lists?

What is it about lists?

The five steps to . . . The seven keys to . . .. The ten biggest mistakes to avoid when . . .

People seem to love lists. I’ve written them myself. And will, undoubtedly, write more.

A list creates structure.

A list have a beginning and an end. It offer a world with clear boundaries. There are seven steps . . . not six . . . not eight . . . seven. If you do them, the list suggests, you will succeed.

A list makes big challenges manageable.

They tell you where to start. What to do next. And also, when you’ll be done. The list keeps you oriented. It provides a step-by-step process that offers milestones and a measurable sense of progress.

Of course a list is a lie.

Life isn’t so sequential and ordered. Even when we try to play it safe and follow the list – life always throws a curve.

Lists are a way to get started.

Which is good. But, if you keep moving forward, in short order, you’ll come to the end of the paved road. Where the list ends and the life of learning, creativity and leadership begins.

The ancient sage Lao Tsu, wrote a short book called the Tao Te Ching.

There have been hundreds of English translations over the centuries. One of my all-time favorite translations offers this as the first sentence:

There are ways but the Way is uncharted.

He’s pointing to the journey that can never be “listed”. The creative journey of life and work that is fundamentally uncharted – because you must experience it for yourself.

So, what do you do when you’ve come to the end of what can usefully be listed and must make your way into the uncharted territory that opens before you?

(Hint: don’t make a list).