Marking progression
Whenever I'm developing a project, or come up with a new idea, I'll often mention that I'll add it to my TODO list. That's an often-growing list of things that I want to get done at some point, but it can be daunting to look at. About two years ago, I was introduced to a different concept: the anti-TODO list.
The anti-TODO list concept, described in this blog post, is simple: once you get something done that you meant to take care of, anything notable, write it down. That's it. It turns into a sort of daily activity log, listing what happened. The point isn't to keep track of past activity, though: it's to get the satisfaction of marking your progress.
I find it especially effective to fight against that sinking feeling on some days that “I didn't get anything done today”, even though that's not true. Some ideas can take days, weeks or even months to see through, but it can be subdivided in multiple parts. Some times, it can be as simple as “Research if X is doable”, “Read on Y”, “Adjust the colors on the prototype for Z”. I also note down things I've been meaning to do for a few days that take time, like “Bake cookies” or “Sort emails”. I usually end up with two or three notes per day; there's always something. Always. Some days are more productive than others, of course, but being able to write these few things helps to give me the feeling that I'm ever moving forward, and I find it motivating. I want to have items to write down at the end of the day!
This is something that I picked up relatively early during the work-from-home-because-pandemic era. While it was suggested within a work context, I found it to be a better match for the ongoing projects I always have at home. Without the ongoing beat of a daily commute, it also served as a way to mark the passing days.
- Opens notebook, adds a note for today: “Post on Patreon”.
– Doctacosa