Screw the 'to-do' list, make a 'done' list for mental health

I’m a big fan of being productive, to the point where it’s detrimental.

I need to know that I’m achieving things every day, every week, month, year. I love getting things done, and there’s nothing more satisfying than getting to the end of the day and crossing everything off that to-do list.

But some days, that just doesn’t happen. Some days I don’t even get close.

This is where my productivity-obsession becomes dangerous. Productivity is tangled in with my sense of self-worth, and if I’m not achieving anything, then what am I doing with my life? It’s an unpleasant little spiral.

So instead of focussing on my to-do lists, I instead created ‘done’ lists.

It’s now become a daily habit at work, and one of the best ways to beat self-doubt and impostor syndrome.

With this ‘done’ list, I basically prove to myself every day that I am productive, making a difference, contributing to my workplace, and kicking ass at my job. It’s exactly what I need when those all-too-common doubts come creeping in.

So what is a ‘done’ list?

If you haven’t already guessed from the name, it’s a list of everything you’ve done in a day, or another period of time. Each time you do something, even just a small achievement, add it to the list.

You could also sit down at the end of the day and make your list then, reflecting on what you achieved, but I find that keeping up with it throughout the day encourages me through that mid-afternoon slump and drives me to see how long I can get my list.

Rather than a to-do list, with half the things still standing at the end of the day, I end up with a positive list of concrete things I’ve done - my little wins.

Some days, I turn it into a game to see if I can make today’s list longer than yesterday’s.

Some days, I look to it for encouragement, to see if I can at least get close to yesterday’s number. If I could do it then, perhaps I can do it again.

Some days, I need a reminder of how far I’ve come and what I’ve achieved to date. Or a reminder that I’ve faced worse before, and got through stressful busy days, or a reminder that I’ve had low days of not achieving much and I still survived and found my way back.

It’s like a diary in a list format. But unlike a diary it’s factual and free from emotion, it’s closer to a record of events than a commentary.

Now, I still haven’t tackled my issues with productivity and self-worth, but at least I’ve found a more positive way to live with them.