Where Did the Time Go? Try a “Done List.”
During a recent session, a client expressed frustration because it was already Thursday, and she didn't know where the week had gone. I know that resonates with me. And if it resonates with me, I'm guessing it resonates with you as well.
Realizing there are some days and weeks and months when we just stop and say - Wow, where did the time go? Where did my day go today? Where has the week gone?! How are we almost through February?!
I went down a rabbit hole, as they say, later that day, as well. It happens. Like when you and I start with what we think is going to be a straightforward, clear and simple task and then an hour or three later, we look up from our laptop (in my case), after opening too many tabs to look up too many questions to complete the extremely complicated task that you thought was straightforward and simple, and you’re very confused at the passage of time.
We’re not sure where the time went, AND…
Some days, everything just seems to take longer. What I thought was my plan, the tasks and projects I wanted to get done, took longer than I planned. I thought I was solving one technology question that I had, and it opened up five more.
And then - wait, what happened? How is it 6 pm? And did I actually complete that task yet?! Ugh! And, for me, “what did I actually get done?” goes together with the “Where did the time go?” question.
If this sounds familiar, I recommend a productivity strategy I use regularly that works in situations like I explained above and all the other days, too. If you often wonder where the time went, and additionally, what did I actually get done today, may I suggest: keep a “Done List” for your day.
When I received my ADHD diagnosis in October, 2024, I also received “recommendations as a result of testing”. At the top of the list were individual therapy and medication, both of which I now utilize. The next few suggestions weren’t as groundbreaking for me as they were strategies I was already using. As in, I should try setting goals, and using lists and a planner to better organize my day. Um, have you met me? Yes, a little too basic.
But the next suggestion on the list I circled, with some exclamations next to it on the page!
That was what I have come to call the “Done List”. Of course we have all heard of and likely use a To Do List, but this was a Done List! Tell me more! It was suggested that I spend time at the end of every day to review what I did that day and determine what I need to do the next day. I have always done the second part, the ‘plan what I need to do tomorrow’ step, but I have not always reviewed my day today to acknowledge what I have accomplished. And I have found that daily review invaluable.
Some of the benefits include:
Tracking completed tasks;
Tracking progress on large projects that are rarely completed in one day;
Celebrating successes;
Recognizing what I DID accomplish, even if it isn’t exactly what was on the original To-Do List, to counteract that self-defeating belief of “the day flew by, I must not have gotten anything done”;
Learning from my experiences, and adjusting my expectations for the next day or week
Let me explain.
Keeping a “Done List” helps me track completed tasks. Let’s say today I reach out to 5 clients to set up appointments, and each of those emails / texts are on the Done List. Reviewing the Done List reminds me to make note of the next steps with those clients now that the appointments are set (send coaching session form, send a confirmation text the day before the appointment, etc.).
Relatedly, Keeping a Done List reminds me that many days, I make progress on tasks even if I don’t finish a project. And progress is still worth it! For example, consider this article I am writing. One day, I recorded the content while I was commuting to a client. A few days later, I sent the article for transcription, started a Google Doc and started editing. A few days later (today!), I finished the article and recorded the podcast. Every week’s content is a project and I can make progress in small chunks.
In addition, considering progress and not just completion, keeping a Done List helps me identify Time Drains. A Time Drain is just that, a task that takes more time than you expected, or things like interruptions or unproductive meetings that don’t add value to your day or productivity. Looking at your Done List helps track time and work and progress and completion, and also not working or progressing or completing!
Keeping a Done List helps me celebrate successes. Very often, work is just work. And that’s ok - I love my work! But I need to get better about truly celebrating successes. Finishing a big project, like creating 20 hours of Professional Communication content for the career readiness programs I work with, is noteworthy and awesome! It was complex and time-consuming and oh so satisfying, and even more so when I could push back from my laptop and do a happy dance for building something I am proud of.
I get to track what I did accomplish, even if it wasn’t on the original To Do List. On a recent Saturday, I had batch cooking planned, plus a few household tasks and then we were heading to a family birthday party. As the day progressed, we added a few more tasks and errands because for example, we realized that we could pick an item at Ikea instead of having it shipped because it was on our way to the party. It wasn’t on the original list, and other tasks got deferred to the next day with the change in schedule, but it worked out better in the end. And that is worth celebrating, too!
And finally, a Done List helps me learn from what IS getting done, what is consistently NOT getting done, how long tasks actually take, etc. For example, I am learning a new music App called forScore to “import, organize, annotate and play [your] sheet music” (from forScore.co). And as with so many things, there has been a learning curve. I am getting more adept with it but I have not mastered it! But I know, per my Done List, that a task that took me 2 hours to complete the first time took less than an hour the second time - woot woot!
I’ve also gotten better at moving appointments to my Done List. I didn’t always give myself credit for the time spent with clients or outside of my office, I would just mentally berate myself for not getting more done even though I left the house at 7 am to teach or for a client job, and didn’t get home until 5 or 6.
Yes, I now utilize a daily Done List. I have a form of a weekly or bi-weekly Done List in the form of the emails I send to my two accountability partners. Before I write this week’s report, I look at last week’s report when I stated what I had accomplished that week and what I want to accomplish coming up.
My To Do list is digital, so when I’m done with the Done List, I just delete it. As I write this article, I’ve realized I might want to keep a more permanent Done List for weekly and monthly accomplishments. Too often I don’t give myself credit for completed work, I just move on to the next project. Appreciating the Done List will motivate and encourage me to keep moving forward, even when things are tough, recognizing all the good things I have already accomplished.
As one of my Finish Line Friday participants and I were discussing, we can also learn from the things that do NOT get done from our To Do list, that we just keep pushing off, and that can be an area for learning as well. (check out a blog article about that here: https://www.peaceofmindpo.com/blog/not-done-yet-pay-attention-to-your-neglect
Ready to give a Done List a try? Here’s how!
You can try keeping a time diary, as in checking in on your tasks and yourself every 30 minutes or so, and make note of what you’re working. Some clients have found this illuminating as they work through tracking their work and energy and accomplishments. And some clients have found the level of detail is unnecessary. Your choice. I am adding this suggestion to the list if you want that level of detail in your Done List at least to start.
Consider, if you use a paper list, don’t fully cross off completed items! A trait of Bullet Journaling that I found very helpful is if I have a list of tasks written on a page, I place an “X” at the start of it, in the margin, as it is completed. Then I can see the actual task description and also if it was completed or not.
If you keep a digital to-do list like I do, get in the habit of moving the task to a “Done List” under today’s To Do List. It is so gratifying to watch the Done List grow as the To Do list shrinks!
If you don’t keep notes right away, that’s ok, too. If you’re trying to track where your day actually went and you’re not sure, you can look at your email’s sent folder, or your recent text conversations on your phone, or your phone log as to who you called and who called you.
To better understand for yourself where your time and energy go, and what work is actually getting accomplished, consider starting a Done List, either daily or weekly. Appreciate what IS getting done, celebrate those successes, and learn from your awareness as your plan your work going forward.
Next week, we’ll look at a related productivity tool, “Today’s Top Three”. I thought I was going to talk about both the Done List and Today’s Top 3 in one article, but I went long because I was so excited about the Done List!
