Have a To-Do List? Then You Need a Done List!
Richard Todd
Senior-level copywriter creating content that attracts, engages, and converts your audience into qualified leads.
A done list will motivate you to tackle that to-do list, and give you a better sense of accomplishment.
If you're a first time entrepreneur developing your startup, you will likely have a to-do list.
And, chances are, it's pretty daunting.
My startup checklist covered three months worth of tasks, covering simple jobs such as business registration and domain name purchase, to more complex projects like conducting a market research survey. And for every task I checked off the list, I added at least two more.
I could only see how much there was to do, and wasn't appreciating all I had accomplished. It's not very motivating to look at an ever-growing list every day, without taking the time to reflect on the journey I'd already travelled.
Until I discovered the done list.
Where the to-do list is all about planning, the done list allows you to evaluate how you executed the plan. It's the perfect balance for the to-do list, giving you a rear-view mirror on how your startup is growing. It also allows you to compare your expectations and results and examine the entire process, empowering you to make better to-do lists in the future.
The done list is also a powerful motivational tool, as it shows you real results. You can pat yourself on the back because you've accomplished things! Not intangible goals or wishes, but actual things. At the end of the day, you can look back and be proud of all you've done, reenergizing you for the next day.
Your done list may never be as big as your to-do list, but you'll get more satisfaction from the process by keeping track of both.
As they say, it's not always about the destination. It's also about the journey.
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Independent Business Owner at The Web Gecko
10 年Great article! We focus too much on what needs to get done. it's important to reflect on what we've accomplished. Take the time to celebrate our successes. it's way more motivating!
Strategic Business Consultant & Advisor | Anti-Racism Educator & DEI | Project Manager | Empowering SMEs to Thrive Through Inclusive Practices and Efficiency Solutions | Founder of PlanIt! Efficiency Solutions
10 年In many corporate settings this is called a List of Accomplishments which is typically measured against goals or objectives predetermined when setting up ones Performance Evaluation for the upcoming year. The accomplishments are usually revisited quarterly or however often the manager chooses to measure performance. The equivalent for a small business, can be done through a series of checklists as you mentioned. Or sometimes they can be described as ‘milestones’ as in a project plan; when you can visually see that you reached a particular milestone, you are physically ready to move on to the next one and that is motivating in itself. I usually think of checklists as ‘mini project plans’ because you can create a high level outline of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by. For others, just the act of checking off the task and the emotional satisfaction of knowing that it’s done constitutes a ‘done list’. If sequence is a factor, then you would number the tasks to ensure they are done in right order. But I suppose some level of satisfaction comes from seeing the word ‘done’ and a list on items following it.
Novelist and Screenwriter
10 年What a great idea! I've been making daily to-do lists for decades (yes, even as a kid) but never once thought to make a "I did it!" list! How motivating. Thanks!