The “Little Systems, Great Rewards” series aims to inspire grad students to implement small changes to improve productivity and well-being. I have been using all the hacks for a long time, and they are all completely customizable to fit your needs! If you missed it, be sure to check out the first post on how to build your own achievements database to facilitate CV building and updating.
It is easy to feel unaccomplished while navigating grad student life and juggling coursework, house chores, social life, and surviving in a new environment, all on top of research duties. Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, today’s post talks about showing yourself some love through a straightforward system with a significant outcome: a (also called “got-done list” or simply “done list”). Unlike to-do lists, which can cause considerable stress with a never-ending addition of new tasks, to-done lists showcase how much you achieve in a day but don’t give yourself the credit.
The beauty of this system is its flexibility, allowing you to adapt it to your unique needs and preferences. If you do a quick search, you will see that there is more than one way to implement them (like and ), so be sure to try a few different versions to find out what works best for you. In the following steps, I’m sharing how I do it and some tips.
Step 1: Decide on a platform
Every day, you will start with a blank canvas. That can be an app on your phone, an erasable board on your desk, your agenda, a notepad - whatever you feel comfortable with and have easy access to throughout the day. Think about it as the daily opportunity to move towards your goals instead of trying to catch up with all the planned stuff.
Step 2: Write it down
This is where the magic happens. Every time you complete a task, no matter how small, write it down. Did you prepare lunch? Spend the whole morning answering emails? Go to four meetings? Hit the gym? Walk your dog? Facetime your loved ones? Vacuum the floors? Read a paper? You know what to do. Writing things down is a powerful and underestimated strategy! Seeing everything you achieved in a day instead of everything you couldn’t do is a decisive shift in mindset.
Step 3: Reflect on your list
Step 3: Reflect on your list. This step is not just a formality, but a crucial part of the process. If you can manage to do this step daily, that’s perfect. But if not, try at least to do it weekly. Reflecting on your to-done list means analyzing how you allocate your time and energy and finding pride in how much you already do. You may realize you prioritize different things than you thought you were (or would like to), or maybe you are already doing a terrific job and need to be gentler with yourself. This reflection is a powerful tool for self-awareness and growth.