If you love the idea of a to-do list, but your to-do list doesn’t love you back, here’s a simple fix.
BY JEFF HADEN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, INC.@JEFF_HADEN
For Inc.
Photo: Getty Images
Lots of people swear by to-do lists; without a list of tasks to accomplish, they can feel adrift and even purposeless.
Sure, their to-do list helps keep them on track — but it may not make them feel good about what they’ve achieved.
That’s why some people use a “done list”: They start the day with a blank sheet of paper and every time they accomplish something, they add it to the list. That approach is especially powerful for people who love checking things off a conventional to-do list; instead of major tasks, your “done” list could include items like “responded to an email.”
Because something was missing.
The ‘Why To-Do List’
A study published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that students who spent a moment writing down why a particular topic had relevance to their life, or to the life of a family member or friend, were much more successful than those who did not.