Back pages
I used to keep a list in my email drafts of the movies I'd watched and books I'd read in a year. It was useful for the end-of-year emails I'd send out, which no one read, when I would announce my favorite book of the year.
But something about the numbered list (probably the numbers) made it really feel like the list was about the quantity of books and movies consumed. I often read a lot and catch a lot of movies as the year comes to a close -- but the list made me feel like I was doing it only to grow the list.
So a few years ago, without giving it much thought, I ditched the year-long list and began scribbling titles onto the last page of my notebook. I cared less about how many things I read or watched in three, four, or six weeks. Instead the back page adds a few more details to what was going on during this short segment of my life.
-Adam
