The Magical To-Do List

The Magical To-Do-List

I make a to-do list often- not daily but close. My list is solid. Stuff that matters, stuff that keeps the house from burning down, the dog fed, the business moving. I tackle one thing, then another. And the magical to-do list is active. Like a superstar, I fold the laundry and actually put it away. I get to cross that stuff off- I prefer the line through it-that’s power! Done!

Okay, so get a little bit honest with me here. Have you ever done something that wasn’t on the list? Not only did you finish the job but there IS something else –seriously…you know the feeling…can you identify it?

You pause for a few seconds, pondering, then it hits.

You add it to the list.

Yes?

Then?

You draw the line through it!

Boom. Dopamine.

It’s ridiculous. Or is it?  It’s definitely universal.

People across time zones, tax brackets, and temperaments do this little act of self-validation every day. We love the satisfaction of a checkmark or a line through the text, it’s a feeling of a mental gold star.

The magical to-do list is a place for us to shine! Even if the thing is already done before it hits the list. Especially if the thing is already done.

It’s your brain looking for proof that you are making progress. That little moment of acknowledgement isn’t meaningless. It simply feels good.

Would you agree it builds up our confidence and motivates us to keep going? I think it says: “I’m moving forward, I’m not stuck, stuff is getting done!”

So, if today you are writing on your magical to-do list something new you just finished – and have now crossed it off- welcome to the club.

This isn’t cheating.

This is momentum!