A done list: why checking things off works

A done list is the opposite of a to do list. Instead of what is still waiting, it shows what you already finished. It sounds like a small thing. But on a day when the to do list feels endless, it is often the thing that reminds you the day was not wasted.

Two kinds of record

There are two common versions.

• A record of finished todos. Everything you ticked off, kept somewhere you can look back at.
• A log of what you actually did. Including the things that were never on the list: the phone call that fixed a problem, the neighbour you helped, the leak you noticed and sorted.

Both are useful. The first costs nothing if your to do list keeps finished todos. The second takes a little writing, and gives a more honest picture of your days.

Why seeing finished work helps

A to do list only ever shows what is missing. That is its job. But looked at day after day, a list of what is missing can make you feel behind even when you are getting plenty done. New todos arrive as fast as old ones leave, so the list never looks shorter.

A record of finished work balances that. It turns a vague sense of "I did nothing today" into something you can check. You look, and there it is: a handful of things finished, some of them annoying.

It also helps with memory. At the end of a week or a month, it is surprisingly hard to remember what you spent your time on. The record answers that without you having to reconstruct it.

Checking off is the first half

The satisfying part of any to do list is the tick. In a simple list, a checked todo leaves the open list straight away. That keeps the working view short, which is good for focus.

The finished todo does not have to vanish for good, though. If the app keeps checked todos and lets you show them, you already have one. You just have not been looking at it.

Using the done filter as your done list

In a simple to do list app, a filter that shows done todos is all you need. There is nothing to set up.

1. Work the open list as normal. Tick things off. They leave the open list.
2. When you want to look back, switch on the done filter. The checked todos appear alongside the open ones.
3. Switch it off again. Your working list is short once more.

This keeps the two views apart. You see what is left when you are working, and what you finished when you want encouragement or a record.

Adding the things that were never on the list

Some of the most useful work never makes it onto a to do list. You dealt with something the moment it came up. If you want your done list to show those too, there is a simple trick: add the todo and tick it off straight away.

"Sorted the insurance renewal." Add, tick. It takes a second, and the record now tells the full story of the day instead of only the planned part.

Do not overdo it. The goal is a fair picture, not a diary of every cup of tea.

A short weekly look back

It is most useful when you actually look at it. Once a week is plenty. Pick a quiet moment, like Friday afternoon or Sunday evening.

1. Show your done todos. Read through what you finished this week.
2. Notice what went well. Which todos were easy to finish? Usually the small, clear ones.
3. Notice what got carried. Anything still open that you have been avoiding for weeks.
4. Tidy the open list. Split the todos that are too big. Delete the ones you will not do.

That is a few minutes, and it does two jobs: it reminds you that you are getting things done, and it keeps the open list honest.

Record or journal?

It is not a journal, and it does not need to become one. It has no feelings in it, no reflections, no plans. It is just a record of finished things. That plainness is why it is easy to keep. If you want to write more, a separate journal is a better place.

Where an AI agent fits

If you use an AI assistant connected to your list, it can read your finished todos and summarise the week for you. Ask it what you got done, and it reads what you finished instead of guessing. You still decide what goes on the list and what counts as done.

Keep it light

It works best when it asks for nothing extra. Tick things off, look back now and then, and let it quietly prove the week was not wasted. The guide on a minimalist to do list covers keeping the rest of your list just as light.

If you want a list that keeps your done todos a filter away, Very Simple Todo is a simple to do list app with a big checkbox on every todo, a filter to show what you finished, a star for what is urgent, and no reminders pinging you. It costs $0.99 a month, and the first month is free.