Why you need a DONE list
If you’re anything like me, you have a TO DO list.
Or two…or three…
To Do Lists are great for us busy and creative people.
Because we tend to (HAVE to) be all over the place.
And we would be lost without those lists.
Those lists
make sure our kids go to school with the right gear for the day
make sure we show up at the right friends’ house for dinner on Saturday night.
make us dash in and out of the supermarket during the hour that the kids are at the gym.
And when the list is completed, we throw it in the bin.
What a shame!
Some time ago, when I was organising lovely weekend-long retreats, I made a ‘Look at what I’ve done this week’ list because I needed to update my Oops (as in Overall Operations) Manager about the status quo.
And I was amazed. Because although the list of the remaining TO DOs was still long and overwhelming, the DONE list looked pretty awesome!
And it made me proud. And it made me want to celebrate.
Here is why a DONE list is important:
it gives you a sense of completion
it shows you what you have already achieved
it says that a little celebration is in order
it indicates your next steps
it makes a great list for future reference if you needed to organise a similar project
it shows recognition for who has done what in a team
it makes you happy
it gives you energy to attack that To Do list
it might show you that it’s time to take a break
it makes you feel ……. (fill in word you need to hear right now – suggestions might be: worthy, valuable, awesome, badass, professional, capable, …)
So off you go to celebrate a little before you attack your next steps.
Years ago during the crush of the holiday season, I was trying to come up with a list of tasks necessary to accomplish, and I couldn't think of a single one that I needed to do, but I could conjure up MANY tasks that I DIDN'T want to do. So I wrote a 'Don't List':
'Don't build up unnecessary expectations'
'Don't accept that invite to a cookie exchange. You don't have time to bake.'
'Don't feel the need to buy a gift for someone you aren't close to'
And on and on that list went. I've repeated the lesson each holiday season since, especially if I start to feel the overwhelming pressure to make any aspect of it perfect. I have also created 'Done' lists and they lift my spirits and motivation far more than anything else.
Last year, I put together a list of all I had achieved in 2023 creatively. It was a full A4 page and I have it pinned in the office where I can see it daily 🧡