How Much Do I Love A List!
I was half listening to BBC Breakfast News this morning, this is something apparently, we all do according to research when it comes to breakfast television. When I presented GMTV with Eamonn Holmes we were constantly aware that our audience was transient because unlike other ‘destination to view’ programmes, breakfast TV fits around our morning routine which includes shower, choosing clothes, breakfast, making beds, getting others up. There’s no other time of the day where, generally speaking, as a nation we’re all doing the same thing. But somewhere in between all this morning preparation for the day ahead we hear a word that triggers our interest, it makes us stop and listen. The trick here for the producer and presenter, a little like a newspaper or magazine, is to constantly put out attention grabbing trigger headlines, so the audience stick with them for the item. Slightly more important for a commercial station as they are selling advertising around the broadcast but also for the BBC in a different way as they need to justify their licence fee.
Well today they got me, with an utterly frightening figure of how many days till Christmas, I nearly spat my tea out! Then ran off to write a list – How much do I love a list? I could write a list about the lists I’m going to make but when I’d done it and riffled through the present draw containing things I’d accrued (mostly in sales) over the last 6 months I calmed down and knew I had this under control. I don’t know how anyone survives without lists, to me they are like brain glue. Nearly every day I make a ‘Day List’ ,not to be confused with any other lists I might be running, just what I need to have nailed by close of play today. But the deal with a day list is that it has to include something you’ve been putting off or you just don’t want to do, but if you did it life would be easier and it wouldn’t be praying on your mind. It’s called ‘killing the worm’ and believe me it works. So, if you are panicking about anything, not just Christmas, start being a ‘crazy list person’ and feel yourself calm down and resume control. I must confess I am a fan of electronic lists, my phone and computer have little chats and coordinate on all the biggies, but my day list is always handwritten on a note pad which I carry with me awaiting the delight of placing a tick against the completed task. On a practical level this is probably your last week to bag a few deals, no one this Christmas wants to be buying their way out of trouble, prudence is everything this year (unless you bought shares in British Gas). Be aware of tat (we just don’t need it) and most of us reading this magazine have been on the planet for long enough to have all the Christmas paraphernalia we could ever want.
I’m now just about to cross writing to you off my list so
Speak next week.