Recently Ana shared about how using a to-do list can be a really effective way to help you stay on track and productive. But there is another tool that I think can be as important for your productivity and more importantly, your effectiveness. It doesn’t replace a to-do list but supplements it. It’s a “Done list.”
What is a “Done List”
A “done list” is a very simple idea where you write down what you have done today rather than what you still need to do. This helps you provide a record of what you have accomplished and where you aren’t moving forward. You don’t have to write down everything, in fact I usually write down “Two/three important things I’ve done today”. It’s a simple idea but it is surprisingly powerful.
I don’t know about you but often I get to the end of the day and I feel like I haven’t got anything done. Or worse still, that I did lots of little unimportant things. I was busy, but not effective. The best way to counter this is using a “Done” list.
There are two ways a “done list” works. Firstly it helps you to notice the (small) achievements you make everyday. When you sit down and write what you have done you have to really think and not just dismiss your day out of hand. You start to really think about things and notice those activities that were actually important. This makes you feel more motivated and happier which helps you to do and achieve more rather than beating yourself up.
Secondly, when you haven’t made progress in areas where you know you should or need to. By noticing it, you can adapt your plan for the following day to make progress in those areas. This isn’t out of guilt, but instead it is acknowledgement of what you did do, and what you need to still do. The first factor should hopefully keep you motivated.
As a bonus point, you actually start to plan your day focusing on the important activities so that you can write them down on your “done list” in the evening. This helps you rise above the humdrum of daily life and get on with the important stuff.
How to Keep a “Done List”
The simplest way to keep a “done list” is to just grab a paper notebook, and write a note down every night. If you like, you can use a digital tool like Day One which can provide you with some benefits like tying in to text-expander snippets so you keep a productivity diary or reminding you of the things you achieved last year.
If your task management system supports it, you might want to look over the tasks you finished during that day to see what you finished as well.
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