The Motivation Value of a “Done List”
Eons ago when I was a programmer, we were rather casual about the meaning of done. Anyone could take advantage of the ambiguity in the word by claiming to be done because there was always something, even just a line of code, that could honestly be said to be done. Nowadays, especially in the agile world, the word has a stated definition based on the criteria that must be met before a specified subset of work can be said to be completed.
But forget about that use of the word for the moment, because there’s another focus that seems especially valuable. This use of done pertains to a list that helps you appreciate what you’ve accomplished, not just at work, but throughout your entire day. You can get a bit of a boost every day by writing down everything, little or big, that you’ve accomplished—your done list.
This kind of list can help you recognize that even if you didn’t complete every task you had hoped to tackle, you’ve done a gargantuan number of things. And when you get into the habit of documenting the little wins as well as the big ones, you have clear evidence of how much you’ve done.
This type of list seems like a wise counterpart to the to-do list. Videos and articles are readily available on how to create a to-do list and prioritize the items in it. But to-do lists help you plan what you’re going to do (or should do), while not necessarily helping you appreciate what you’ve done. For some people, simply checking off each item on the to-do list as it’s completed is sufficient. But there’s a certain satisfaction not just in checking off or crossing out, but also in seeing a list of the things accomplished. If you’re an especially busy person or your responsibilities pull you in many directions, listing what you’ve done at the end of each day can be a simple morale booster.
Even better might be to write them down as you do them. Every time you complete something, write it down and get that little jolt of satisfaction for a task that’s finished and over with. Then you can review the list at the end of the day to see all the things you’ve done. It’s your own personal pat on the back.
Now I can add this article to my done list. And check it off. And cross it out. Done!
