202211241007 The benefits of keeping a done list
Source: https://www.oliverburkeman.com/donelist
This is why I’m such an enthusiastic proponent of keeping a “done list”, which starts empty, first thing in the morning, and which you then gradually fill with whatever you accomplish through the day. Each entry is a cheering reminder that you could, after all, have spent the day doing nothing constructive — yet look what you did instead! (If you’re in a serious psychological rut, just lower the bar for what gets to count as an accomplishment: nobody else need ever know that you added “brushed teeth” or “made coffee” to the list.) But a done list isn’t merely a way to feel better about yourself. If you can give up the impossible quest to pay off your productivity debt, and instead start thinking of each day as an opportunity to move a small-but-meaningful set of items over to your done list, you’ll find yourself making better choices about what to focus on. And you’ll make more progress on them, too, because you’ll waste less time and energy being distracted by stress about all the other stuff you’re (unavoidably) neglecting.
This is pretty similar to Chris Krycho’s idea of an “Outcomes” header in your daily notes, with “Summary” and “Artifacts” subheaders. I’ve been using this for the last few days in my personal notes 202211230801 and it’s been great. I’ve not only been more encouraged to write, I’ve also been more encouraged to do things.
From Drafts
uid: 202211241007 tags: #drafts #productivity #task-management