My ‘To Done’ list is one of the most helpful ways to get motivated. Since beginning my master’s degree in September, I have been meeting myself coming backwards in terms of everything I need to do each day.
I’ve needed to fine tune the meagre organisation skills I possess to make sure everything that needs to be done gets done.
But there are days when my to do list is so long and I can’t see how on earth I will get everything done. This is when I begin my ‘to done’ list:
Bear with me…I do realise that ‘to done’ is grammatically incorrect and, well, just sounds weird, but it has been a life saver for me.
What is a ‘To Done’ List?
Whenever I feel overwhelmed with just. so. much. to. do. I start a ‘To Done list‘. This is basically a place I write down what I have done, as I do it:
Sometimes I have so much to get through, I am like a deer in headlights – completely immobile. Even just starting a ‘To Done’ list gets the momentum going, and as I watch the list growing longer and longer, I know my actual ‘To Do’ list is getting shorter and shorter.
Other Benefits to the ‘To Done’ list
Watching the list grow makes my heart sing and prevents me feeling overwhelmed by all I have to do. It also gives me a list to look back on at the end of the day. Sometimes I can feel like I’ve been busy all day but achieved very little. My little list reminds me I achieved stacks.
It is also really helpful to look back over the month and see if there are any patterns to my productivity. This allows me to be kinder to myself during the times I do not get much done. The patterns inevitably show me that times of low productivity are always followed by times of high productivity.
It’s also useful because it tells me when I last cleaned the bed sheets, or washed the towels. And it’s incredibly useful to glance at and know what I’ve done for my course or my blog.
Lastly, a list containing all I have completed is very motivating to get even more done.
I tell you, I love my ‘To Done’ list!
Let me know if you give it a go!