A couple of days ago, I wrote about how awesome it feels to get things done, and the satisfaction that comes with completing things you want to do. I wrote about that as if it were a new feeling, but one of the ways I keep myself motivated is by allowing myself a little taste of that satisfaction each day — no matter how productive I really am.

Since January 1st, 2020, I’ve been keeping a to-do list every single day. I have recurring tasks on there and ones that only need to be completed once. I’ll admit to often checking off things on the list that I haven’t actually done, but for the most part, keeping a list has really helped me stay on top of things.

The reason why is that I really do get a hit of satisfaction when I check something off after doing it. It’s why I put “brush teeth” on my list each day. No, I don’t actually need to be reminded to brush my teeth in the morning. But by having something I was going to do anyway at the top of my to-do list, I get to check something off first thing. It’s like starting each day by getting something done. If you get the first thing done on your list, the rest just seems a little bit easier.

It doesn’t work all the time. I can have a really productive morning and then never do anything for the rest of the day. But there’s just something about checking something off the list that makes me happy. And it makes me feel accomplished when, at the end of the day, the list is empty.

So in addition to the satisfaction of actually doing the things I want to do, I also get a little hit when I check the ‘done’ box in TickTick.

I’ve been thinking about productivity a lot lately. Part of that is because I’ve been oddly productive, but it’s also that I have a bit of an obsession with watching productivity YouTubers. Most of these people wouldn’t know productivity if it slapped them in the face. They’re just parroting everything the bigger, more successful YouTubers are saying. But some of them seem to know what they’re talking about. And there’s something about listening to someone talk about productivity that makes you want to be more productive. Ironically, the more I watch these guys, the less stuff I get done — but that’s a me problem. The idea of being more productive is actually there, even if my lazy ass doesn’t follow through.

I’m productive in my own mind, at least. That has to count for something.

All this has led me to think about ways I can be more productive. I’ve talked about how this blog is helping me with that, and the to-do list helps, but I also think about how getting up earlier and starting the day earlier could help too. I don’t really want to be a productivity YouTuber, but these little things people can do to get more done really fascinate me. The more I think about it, the more I come up with ways I could improve.

Maybe I will be a productivity blogger or YouTuber someday. But for now, I’ll keep trying the little things to see what works and what doesn’t — while trying to keep myself from spending too much time on YouTube.