Welcome JJ!
I too am a list lover and have a beautiful notebook where I plan out my weeks (with mini lists!) to help manage the overall to do list! My problem is sticking to them - I seem to get so distracted by other things which are necessary and important (as well as the less necessary and important ones!) that I often don't get to do what was on the original plan.
I do agree though that we could do with learning from Toad. I sometimes try to plan in a time buffer so that I don't get stressed when things don't done in time. I also sometimes put on my list something vague like 'craft time' or 'outside time' but don't specify what so then I can be spontaneous with what I feel like doing but also don't just find myself doing jobs the whole time.
I've also taken to carrying round what I think of as my 'random notebook'. Odd thoughts pop into my head at all sorts of moments, usually of things I must remember to do which are already on a to do list somewhere. I need to write them down to get them out of my head but actually rarely need to look at them again. In fact, if I ever do look back at a page I am often quite worried at the number of places my brain seems to have jumped to!