Six of the most important lists in history

Overwhelmed by modern life? Then try drawing up a list. 1) It will make you feel in control; 2) It's good for the brain; and 3) It will put you in league with historical figures from the Ancient Egyptians to Pablo Picasso. These ones come via Lists of Note.

1. Egyptian workmen's absences, circa 1250 BC

2. Picasso's handwritten suggestions for the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art

3. Scott Fitzgerald conjugating the verb 'to cocktail', 1926

4. Leonardo da Vinci's to-do list, 1510

5. Thomas Jefferson' s10-point list of life advice, 1825

6. Hilary North's 'How My Life Has Changed', 2001

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'Lists of Note', by Shaun Usher (Canongate, £30), is out on Thursday