How do you make an effective grocery list?

As Jerry Seinfeld says, “People walk up to the supermarket, they really have a sense of purpose: ’[...] I’m going to get this, I’m going to get that, I’m going to pay for it and I’m going to get back to my real life.’ You see that same person ten minutes later: ‘Why did I come up this aisle anyway? This is a different aisle than I’ve ever been in before…’

What strategies do you have for making a grocery list that promotes efficiency and prevents the common phenomenon of having a kitchen full of food but nothing to eat?