Creating a positive mindset around celebrating small tasks leads to feeling more successful and is essential for staying motivated and on track towards achieving your goals or intentions. Never forget that finishing small tasks, even completely unrelated tasks, can help you build momentum and give you a sense of success. In return you’re more likely to stay focused and motivated in the long run. Creating a positive mindset benefits your daily routine, and your mindset in general.
First, let’s talk about how to create a positive mindset around celebrating those small tasks. At the end of the day, before looking at my to-do list for tomorrow, I create an “I did” list. I literally write down everything I did that day. This list can even include simple things like if I woke up on time, hydrated well, completed a load of laundry from start-to-finish, etc. The things you do don’t always have to be related to bigger life goals. Because, hey, now I don’t have to do that load of laundry tomorrow! Also, I bet I’ll be feeling pretty good so I can get stuff done because I’m hydrated. It all comes full-circle, baby!
Mindful Living And To-Do Lists
This is such an important part of living in the moment with mindfulness, and building a life you’re proud of. Seeing, and celebrating, your progress will help you stay motivated. It allows you to see more of the big picture, than just having tunnel vision surrounding our life goals. Oh! And remember those intentions I talked about at the end of the year? Most likely, these small unrelated tasks are still helping you to live with intention and purpose. So never gloss over the small things from day-to-day. They add up to a wonderful life.
Another way to create a positive mindset around celebrating small tasks is to focus on the process. Not just the outcome. In other words, focus on the work you are doing and how it is helping you achieve your goal. Enjoy the journey rather than just the end result.
For example, instead of just thinking about how great it will be to write a book, focus on how writing 500 words a day is helping you get closer to that goal. Or again, going back to the laundry, realize how completing that 1 load today will help you in your overall intention of being more organized. When you see progress, you are more likely to stay focused and motivated to keep going. Celebrating small tasks helps build momentum.
Set Yourself Up For Success
Finally, let’s talk about how making your “I did” list should be part of your daily routine, just like journaling, hydrating, and meditating, just to name a few. 😉 One way to do this is to keep a log of your progress. Keep your lists in one place instead of random notes all over the house and on your phone.
Have a list notebook separate from your journal. You don’t want to desensitize your mindset and judgment when you go to write in your journal by seeing your to-do list and letting THAT control your thoughts. Your journal should be a free-thought space, not a to-do list. (More on this later!)
So in your list notebook, have your to-do list on one side of the page and your “I did” list on the back or next page. Then look at this progress over time. Pro tip: I like to highlight 1 thing a day that I’m really happy about getting done, or excited to do. Then I reflect on how this has changed over time when I look back at my lists. One last thing, you can set reminders for yourself throughout the day to write down what you’ve done so you don’t forget. It’s easy to forget the small stuff, and again, it could influence what you do next.
Creating a positive mindset around your random, boring daily tasks can actually make life more exciting! Remember, progress is progress, no matter how small it may seem, and every step you take is a step closer to you living your best life.
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