Move Tasks From Your To-Do List to an ‘I Did’ List

It can change your whole outlook.

Click here to get 325+ productivity hacks and finally master procrastination and get things done!

---

What happens when we cross one item off the to-do list?

We normally just replace it with another.

We’re never “done,” which often leaves us anxious, restless, and in a perpetual state of self-pity.

To counter his feelings of disappointment, N.A. Turner tried to keep an “I did” list — a running tab of daily accomplishments.

The idea was that by focusing on what he’d done instead of what he hadn’t, he would feel more content and in control.

Research shows that writing down our achievements each day — even the smallest ones — changes how we feel and perform.

So he created a list on his Notes app and named it “I did.”

Every time he would do something — whether it was a mundane task, like answering an email, or a major success, like writing 1,000 words for the novel he was working on — he would cross it off his to-do list and add it to his “I did” list.

Then, at the end of each day, he’d take a moment to revel in all that he had accomplished.

And it worked!

Through this one tiny adjustment, he learned that he did more in a day than he ever realized. This sense of achievement propelled him to keep up the rhythm.

The best part?

This list gives you a clear vision of the progress you’re making toward your goals.

It’s an easy change to execute.

You can make your own “I did” list in an app such as Notes, Asana, or Evernote, or you can use good ol’ pen and paper.

Another option is to compose a new email each morning, add completed tasks to it throughout the day, and then send it to yourself in the evening.

It might seem like extra work, but the idea is to stop and think about your actions.

Feeling proud of your accomplishments at the end of the day will help you look forward to tomorrow.

Source