Why do lists make self-control easier? Lists, especially checklists, tend to make tasks seem more manageable. I think it's the visual association with finishing something that is normally just mental. Is there another way to connect visual accomplishment with tasks? Perhaps that's why the progress bar is so satisfying on computers, or the little wheel of death that accompanies any loading streaming internet video. This also makes sense with the weight-loss tip to eat foods that leave a visual remainder- wings that leave bones on your plate, shrimp that leave tails- so that you can see how much you've eaten, and get a sort of satisfaction from it that you might not feel in your stomach.