From To-Do List to Done List
To do lists. Some people live by them, others avoid them like the plague. I have personally done both in my life. I noticed that my to-do lists do not help me when my mental health is suffering though. In fact, to do lists actually make my mental health and productivity worse.
A big reason to do lists don’t work is because they are overwhelming. At first, my mind is rushing with items that I need to get done and projects I must start right away. I feel the pressure to accomplish everything on my list and to do it as soon as possible. I feel the urgency to go task to task without a break- since I don’t see how I could possibly take a break with everything I need to do! What does all of this pressure do to me? The pressure makes me not even want to start the list. I don’t even want to look at the list. Instead of being motivated by my to-do list, I end up hiding from it! When I realized to do lists were not working for me, I decided something had to change. That was when I started to write down things I have already done- making a done list.
What To Put
What do you put on your done list? Whatever you have done that you want to put on the list. What goes on my done list varies with how my mental health is. I have days where I need to put down that I got out of bed in the morning and wrote in my gratitude journal. I will put other items that are also on my habit tracker like taking my medicine or staying hydrated. Other days, when my mental health is better, items on my done list might include meal prepping a meal I can eat all week long or doing items on my cleaning schedule. The bottom line is that your done list is just that- YOURS.
Why It Helps
There are two main reasons my done list works. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and encouragement. Not only that, but the done list is crazy simple to do. You can write your list anywhere- paper, computer, post it note, phone- anywhere!
1 | ACCOMPLISHMENT
When my mental health is suffering, I feel as if I am unable to accomplish anything. The days go by and it is as if I have just sat there while the sun and moon rotated around me. With my done list, I can see that I am actually just not giving myself enough credit. “Wow, even though I didn’t feel like getting out of bed today, I did. That really did take a lot of effort. I also took my medicine and did not allow my mindset to skip that today.” Seeing my done lists reminds me that every victory needs to be celebrated. It reminds me that self-care is vital and taking care of myself is so important!
RELATED: Your Little Victories and Big Reasons to Celebrate!
2 | ENCOURAGEMENT
While my to-do list is meant to encourage me, it ends up terrifying me. My done list, however, inspires me to do more. When I write out what I have accomplished, it motivates me to keep going. I can see that even though I didn’t think I could get out of bed, I did. What else can I do today? Maybe wash my face. Maybe tomorrow I will shower. Sometimes I have a running done list for the week, where I just draw lines dividing the days. This way, I can look back and see how much I have done the last few days- maybe I can even see how I have been able to add more items to my list as the days went on. I can see my work and progress and notice that I am in fact not just letting the days pass. I can see myself doing.
DO THE DONE LIST
I love my done list. It is simple, easy, and works for me. It helps me with motivation improves my mental health. and Do you keep a to-do list? How about a done list? Please comment to tell me your tips and your thoughts on my article! If you know someone who could benefit from this article, please show you care and share the bear! Be sure to sign up for my emails and follow on social media to get the most of the positive world of Brightside Bear!
I’ve never thought of a done list! Wow…simplistic yet life changing. I gotta apply this
The done list has definitely been life changing for me! Please let know what you think of it when you try it out and thank you for commenting! Sending love