I draw an empty square first, and then my task. When I’ve finished the task, I make a checkmark or an X in the box.
Once I even cheered myself up1 by putting incredibly easy stuff on a to-do list. Checking off the box next to “Brush teeth” gave me the dopamine hit I needed to tackle the next item (probably “Get dressed”).
Taking it up a notch Like me, one of my co-workers creates a to-do list with little checkboxes. Here’s how he adds another dimension.2
When he’s working on something but hasn’t finished it yet, he makes one diagonal slash through the checkbox. When he’s finished, the second slash gets added. This is a great way to show something’s in progress but not yet finished. When you want to pick up on something you’ve started, you just look for the checkbox with the half-slash!
If you like to make checklists for yourself, try it this way and let me know how it goes.
