Monday, March 28, 2011

Anthony Bourdain on lists

This weekend I was glancing through a friend's copy of the Les Halles Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain. Anthony Bourdain has a really direct and entertaining writing style. I really enjoyed his memoir Kitchen Confidential. I also ate at Les Halles in New York City once. It was a delicious, memorable meal. In the cookbook, he was talking about how to start thinking like a chef, and I wanted to share his take on lists with you.
I'm a list fanatic. Write it down on a list, I believe, and there is far less chance that you will ever find yourself beginning a sentence with the pathetic excuse, "Sorry...I forgot to..."
The very process of writing a list clarifies and focuses the mind.
I love the phrasing...lists really do clarify and focus the mind on what's important. The power of the list cannot be overestimated, I feel.

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

2 comments:

  1. I love Anthony Bourdain & have several of his books. He is so right that lists are the way to stay on top of things. My memory is just so-so and people know that in order for something to get done - email it to me or have my write it on my list. Once it is in writing - on my list - it'll happen!

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  2. Thanks for commenting, Liz. I'm totally the same way, if I don't write something down on a list, the odds of me forgetting it go way up!

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