The Have-Done List
February 26, 2007 · Print This Article
A to-do list is what most people see as the pinnacle of personal productivity. You set a plan, work the plan, and the check items off the list. To-do lists can be a great. They help you focus on what is important instead of just what happens to be on your mind.
However there are times when creating a to-do list isn’t the best thing. There are times when you need to be able to freely explore and do whatever comes to mind. Vacations are one example. If you create a to-do list (and I know some people who do) for your vacation it might take away from some of what you need to get out of a vacation.
I also find that there are times where I need to focus on a particular area, but without having a pre-defined set of tasks. For example, if I set aside a day to work on improving this website, I may or may not have a list of things I need to do. Sometimes it might be best for me to just find tasks and do them instead of trying to come up with all the tasks ahead of time.
Spending a day at the library is another example. If you have a preset
idea of exactly what you want to accomplish, you might miss some
valuable things you could be do that just come serendipitously your way.
The most likely reason people aren’t able to follow a to-do list during
a normal work day is because of unexpected fires and emergencies. You
have a great plan, but the whole world seems like it is conspiring to
prevent you from touching even one item on your list. It isn’t that
you aren’t accomplishing anything, it is just not the stuff you had on
your to-do list.
This is where the idea of a have-done list comes in. Instead of
feeling guilty because you spent a day following no prescribed path,
simply take not of what you did. At the end of the day make a short
list of what you accomplished. This gives you a chance to reflect on
how well this approach to work fits with your personality. It will
also help you better understand the types of things that you do
naturally and the types of things you avoid. This understanding can
benefit you when trying to use a to-do list in the future.
Basically my point is to give yourself a way to see what you’ve
accomplished without worrying about deciding what you are going to do
ahead of time. Most likely a to-do list of some type will be the most
beneficial for the majority of situations, but making a have-done list
at the end of the day helps for those times where a to-do just isn’t
appropriate.
Well put Mark, This is great advice. In fact, a “have done” list is far more important when it comes to your employment review than a “to do” list, wouldn’t you say?
- Josh
@Joshua - Definitely. Before I started my own company, I would always make a detailed list of accomplishments before any review with my manager. It made a big difference in how I was perceived.
My work-day is 80% fire drills and odd jobs that end up taking priority over my to-do list, often making my to-do list more counter productive than it should be. I’m now on work-day #3 having used a “have-done” list, and I can already say that I have actually gotten more done as a result of it, and I have a record to point it out. Thanks again Mark.
@Joshua - I’m glad to hear it is working out well for you. It is a lot easier to be motivated when you can see everything you’ve accomplished instead of just focusing on the things that didn’t get done. Good luck!