You know I love a good checklist, and few things feel better than the flick of your wrist as you add the coveted checkmark. But that little “swoosh” isn’t the only way to denote progress!
When we think of a productive day, most of us picture something like this:
But a productive day can also look like this:
And the reality is that most days will look more like the second example than the first. That’s normal, expected, and still productive. Plus, rewarding your brain for putting effort into a task even if you don’t finish can motivate you to make steady progress.
This method comes in handy at the end of the day. The symbols help you update all tasks you worked on, not just the ones you completed, so you know how to update them in your digital systems 👌🏻 Here’s a peek at my Friday:
Here’s a little key for the symbols I frequently use:
✅ = I completed the task!
➡️= I need to move this item forward (to tomorrow, next week, etc).
〰️ = I made a certain % of progress toward completion of this task.
🧑🏻 = This task has been delegated to someone else.
❌ = This task is no longer relevant and can be ignored/deleted.
And just in case you didn’t know — I have a collection of innovative paper goods designed for modern productivity, and they are all created on a woman-owned printing press in my home state of Minnesota! The Daily Page Planner (pictured above) is designed specifically for this flexible use of checkboxes and includes a guide at the front of the book. Take 10% off your order with the code HONEY at checkout.
📚 READ: I’ve struggled a lot with the impending loss of our dog, Walter. I really never imagined that it’d be as hard as it has been, and a big part has been trying to make my emotions “socially acceptable.” This article from The Atlantic provided valuable insight, “Grief over any loss can be difficult to confront, but when grieving a pet, people can find themselves that much more caught between expressing the full range of their feelings and managing them to be more socially acceptable. Many scientists consider pet loss to be a form of disenfranchised grief, which leaves people riddled with shame, confusion, and guilt.” Read it here.
📺 WATCH: Did you know I played the Scarecrow in my high school’s rendition of The Wizard of Oz? 😅👠 Fast forward a solid decade, and I found myself on a press trip in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I got to see the musical Wicked. I had never been in a theater that big, and the show blew me away. Seeing the trailer for the upcoming film gave me a lot of feels! Watch it here.
🎧 LISTEN: Beyonce broke the internet this week with the release of two country songs. While the internet had much to say about a Black “crossover” artist, many were quick to point out that county music’s roots are Black. I’ve been listening to “Texas Hold Em” on repeat and nearly fainted over this ballet choreography to the tune:
🧡 ENJOY: A friend shared this website with me recently so I’m sharing it with you! MuscleWiki lets you click on any major muscle in the body and quickly explore various exercises (with simple videos!) that work that muscle. I’ve been using this to update my Weightlifting Spreadsheet 💪🏻 Check it out.
So sorry for your lost of Walter. ❤️
I love reading your weekly page. It always give me a great productivity tip and a reminder to also stop and simply enjoy life.
OK. I AM from Texas and so when I here the opening line of this song, I've ALWAYS turned it off. This is the first time I actually listened to it and I really enjoyed the ballet adaptation. Thanks for sharing.