printable // you did it! lists

I do this crazy thing where I get really down on myself when I don't accomplish "enough" during the day. Don't get me wrong, being productive is good and when you work for yourself, it's essential. But when an abstract "enough" is how I evaluate myself, I've valued it too much.

One way I've found to fix this is to look less at my to-do list, and more at what I'm calling a "You Did It!" list. As I work through the day, I write down all the things I accomplished.

Sometimes they're big things: made project & wrote post, designed pattern, photographed three projects, etc.

Sometimes they're small things: sent email, loaded dishwasher, cut pattern pieces, etc.

I write down things I finished, and things on which I just made progress. It's almost like tracking my day, but not so detailed. And why do I do this? Because at the end of the day, I can't say "what did I actually do all day?"

I may not get everything done (big stuff takes time!), but I have evidence that I did, in fact, stay busy.



Often I grab the nearest scratch paper (junk mail envelopes are a favorite), but I thought it would be fun to make a printable. And this one says You Did It! across the top. Cheering yourself on is a good idea.

The page has six lists per piece of paper, so basically a week's worth. You can trim them apart on the gray lines, or try this:



Fold the page in half and then accordion fold it in thirds. Now you have a week of lists all in one handy spot. Have an extra-productive day? Open it up and use the back of a section.



Usually I still work from a to-do list, or something similar. When there are a lot of things to be done, I need to see all the things so I don't miss anything important. But the You Did It! list is crazy helpful for my well-being.

And seriously, the normal life things that take time during the day (dropping off the kids, making dinner, putting away laundry) need to be on your list. They are part of what we accomplish during our days. They take time and they're important.

DOWNLOAD THE YOU DID IT LIST PDF

For an embroidery pattern to congratulate someone on their accomplishments (maybe bigger than loading the dishwasher, unless you're feeling cheeky), visit the Embroidery site at About.com. I couldn't help but make both the pattern and printable to match!