A To Do List or a Done List?

I don't think I'm alone in finding the compilation and following of To Do lists to be a bit of a challenge.  I struggle to find the motivation to work on my To Do list.  I have a tendency to write an item on it and then decide to do it, leaving my poor To Do list a bit like an abandoned girl at a dance.  And having written one I am adept at ignoring it.


And yet, it has to be said that a day when you have a good well thought out To Do list can be a tremendously productive one.  What is the answer?  Well one creative suggestion I have just come across is replacing the To Do list with a Done list.  This does sound appealing.  For a start, there shouldn't be any trouble with compiling a list of what you have actually done.  Also compiling a Done list must carry a lot of the information for what you should be dong next.

So I like the idea.  But there are lots of things I like the idea of but which don't work out so well in practice.   I think the trick is to give it a try and then stop it and go back to the old way.  That should at the least be an interesting exercise.  Now as it happens, I am currently working on the habit of daily planning and I have just over a week to go.  I have just made a tactical switch on building that habit, so I will stick with what I am doing for another week which will bring me nicely to the end of March.  Then in April I can alternate weeks with a To Do List and weeks with a Done List.

Reference

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/why-to-do-lists-dont-work-and-done-lists-do.html