Feel more accomplished each day

Do you ever find yourself at the end of the day with your head spinning and not much of an idea what you got done that day?  You feel tired.  You definitely kept your kids alive (which is a huge and important achievement for sure).  Beyond the kids still being around and the house still standing, things are unclear.  You know you did things but you’re not really sure what you accomplished.

We all have days like that.

Perhaps you had a long list of tasks you planned to do, and you’re pretty sure you did a few of them, as well as a whole host of other things you get pulled into, but it all feels a bit fuzzy as you fall into a heap on the couch at the end of the day.  Hugs to you, friend, if this is how you’ve felt lately.  We ALL can get into weeks, months or even seasons of feeling this way.  Let’s try something new so you feel better at the end of the day.

What if instead of not knowing all that you did through the day, you had a way to capture all that you did?  What if you could then CELEBRATE all that you accomplished?  Would that feel like a positive way to end your day?

Would you start the next day feeling more on top of things?

Finally, would you want to build on that momentum?

I’m going to show you a simple way to be more clear about all that you do in your day.  (Because I guarantee – you do a lot!)

That will allow you to feel more accomplished at the end of each day.

So, how do we do this?  Before your day begins, set out a note pad or a book.  For the first time you do this, use whatever you have on hand.  If you like this practice you can get a special notepad or book for this purpose.  For example, you could use a book like this if you want a record from day to day or use notepads like this and just keep the list through that one day.

You are going to want to have your book or notepad in a convenient spot like on the kitchen counter.  Keep it near you as you are going to be writing on it all day.  As you go through your day, each time you do something, write it down.  This is your “done list”.  You get to decide how detailed to be.

I would recommend that when you first start this practice, you write everything down.  A longer list will feel more impressive to you as you read it at the end of the day.   Some days when I want lots of little wins, I will write down everything that could be considered productive so that at the end of the day, I can see a long list of things that I accomplished.  (Including the items that were my must-dos.)

Examples of done list items:

• Emptied the dishwasher
• Washed 1 load of laundry
• Dried/Folded 1 load of laundry
• Paid 5 bills
• Fed the kids lunch
• Picked up toys
• Read stories before nap (Yours or the kids!)
• Swept the floor

If you worked on something but didn’t finish it, you can acknowledge that too.  Write down something like, ‘spent 15 minutes on photobook project’ or ‘decluttered for 10 minutes’.  Find ways to capture as much as you can, at least to start.  If you like doing this and make it a practice, you can settle into writing more or less as you see fit.

At the end of the day, sit down and look at your list.  Review what you did and allow yourself to feel good about the difference you made, with your kids, in your home, and in all the other ways you made an impact.  Know that you are making great strides and that all you do is important.  Use that positive feeling to have a better evening and to take a positive spirit into the next day.

Try this out for a week.  See if it makes a positive impact on you and in how you feel about your days.  Bonus points for keeping your lists and looking back to see all the progress you’ve made over time.  You are awesome.  Celebrate all that you have accomplished!

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