Start This Easy Time Management Habit to Boost Your Fulfillment

It’s entirely too easy to end the day, month, or year feeling like you didn’t do enough. I mean, who hasn’t felt this way before?!

If you’re into time management, you probably have some sort of checklist or daily plan to track your to-do’s.

I have my own process to plan my time, but in 2020 I added a new tool in my time management toolset that I’ve found to boost my level of contentment… and dare I say fulfillment… when I wrap up my days!

Start a “What I Completed” List

Call it whatever you want:

• What I Completed
• What I Finished
• What I Did
• Whatever

Start wherever you keep your daily plan / to-do list.

At the end of your day when you’re doing a check-in… as you check those boxes of what you’ve done, go one step further to completely summarize what you accomplished that day in a quick list format.

Once you check off whatever to-do’s you completed from your start of day intentions, add the additional things you tackled that day right onto your to-do list with instant checkmarks.

That one step alone feels amazing! You’re focus instantly shifts from what you didn’t get to to what you did do. #fulfillment

Round up what you’ve completed each month.

I tend to reset my intentions each month. I have an entire system for this (see here). However you do that for yourself, add on the ridiculously easy step of beginning your planning session with what you’ve completed.

Before you even think about what you want / need to do next in the upcoming month, update your “Completed” list for the year.

I’ll show you how I do this below.

Use this list as a gut check.

This isn’t a productivity obsession. This is a checks and balances system for how you spend your time.

Utilizing your “Completed” list is the way to measure that your behaviors and actions are, in fact, aligned with your highest values, your purpose, and desires.

You can see where you’re wasting time, unexpected and delightful ways you spontaneously spent your time, time you’ve been intentional, time you’ve been in survival mode, time you defaulted into your comfort zone, etc.

SO. MUCH. INSIGHT.

When your behaviors and actions don’t align with the life you want to live out, no worries. You can shift course.

When everything feels aligned, that’s when you’ll feel a SURGE of fulfillment—no matter how much you didn’t do in the month!

Things I like to include:

• Everything on my monthly intentions list – this includes both day-to-day to-do’s and steps taken for big picture goals
• Everything that popped up that day that I did – from chores to connections
• Both meaningful experiences and mundane productivity
• Household / adulting type chores
• Parenting things
• Business things
• Connection things (like checked in with this friend, etc.)
• Books I read / movies I’ve watched
• Places I visited
• Personal goals, such as donating blood

I love calling out one of the most meaningful experiences I had for the month—this helps me feel like I didn’t immerse myself in productivity all month long

I keep my master list for the year in Evernote using their checkboxes all checked. It’s so fun watching this list grow!

You can put anything on this list! Start with anything you want to track to measure if you’re spending “enough” time, too much time, or not enough time by your own standards.

The main thing is: just start.

You’ll figure out what you like as you go. You’ll definitely miss (forget) things too—I certainly did! But having this home base for how you’ve spent your time is true gold.

Just start!

Before you go, here’s an example of my 2020 year. On the other side of this list, I’ve shared what you can do with this list once you have an entire year-at-a-glace like the one below.

Marie’s 2020 Completed List

Some links are affiliate links.

JANUARY

Meaningful experience: Donna surprise

• 1099’s to Independent Contractors
• Create Monthly Slow Down Session
• Get Mighty Network topic ideas from group
• Finish batch of podcast episodes (through episode #80)
• Wrap up the Podcast
• Make donation to Pledge the Pink
• Roundup list of Designers and reach out
• Write to Dave
• Write in Kendall & Levi’s journals
• Cancel Bench
• DGS Logo
• DGS Canva Templates
• Connect with Designer for the Playbook
• Read: The Explosive Child
• Access Roth IRA
• Write in kids’ birthday journals
• Edit 2019 photos
• Clean out junk drawer
• Clean out games

FEBRUARY

Meaningful experiences: Hockey game and my weekend retreat

• Rock UMA JV launch with Kyla
• Host webinar with Kyla Roma
• Fix columns on TSS Sales Page
• Duplicate main sales page onto the individual product pages (do I need to?)
• Notice Your People design
• Rewrite letter to Dave
• Pin DGS content
• Move F&F sales emails into a Sequence in DGS
• Host Connection Call for the TSS
• Prep for Manage Your Time Like a Boss
• Hang all hearts for 14 Days of Valentine’s
• Total up medical expenses & business mileage
• Fully prep the Playbook for Ally—Loom
• Make photographs for the Playbook (old photos, black background)
• Finish creation of How to Manage Your Time Like a Boss
• Finish February TSS weekly activity emails
• Plan & write March TSS weekly activity emails
• Schedule February Slow Down Session
• Check on Bench refund
• February DGS & FF Newsletters
• Clean out large kitchen drawer
  

MARCH

Meaningful experiences: Meet Courtney & Allison + Coronavirus

• March FF Newsletters
• Next email in Welcome for DGS
• Update Chatbooks & clean out Phone Photos
• Write TSS April weekly emails
• Notice Your People landing page on website // updated Pretty Link
• Create co-work call reminder template
• TSS Onboarding ritual email
• March DGS Newsletters
• Amanda birthday card
• Add the Client Attractor Toolset & Client Testimional Maximizer & Client Guide Template to Intentional Documentary®
• Fix social follow on DGS blog 
• Fix logo on DGS website
• Cover graphic for DGS F&F and LNMN
• Then & Now blog post
• Best of 2019 blog post on F&F
• Moving story blog post on DGS
• Playbook specs from printer to Ally
• 7 Phases opt-in fix
• 7 Phases fix in F&F blog posts
• 7 Day Storyteller’s Challenge opt-in fix
• NYP IG Live walkthrough and drive traffic to list and record results
• Privacy Policy DGS
• Terms of Use DGS
• Schedule TSS March & April Slow Down Sessions
• Make more potential Playbook pictures
• Typeform Pulse Check for TSS & send email
• Finish InstaPage mess—7 Phases, Old blog posts & pages
• Edit 2020 photos so far
• BCBS Greenville ADHD reimbursement
• Check out Skyland Camp for Girls // Mother-Daughter weekend
• Plan & schedule TSS Sales emails to DGS list
• Make next blood donation appointment
• Start Big Life Journal with Kendall
• Write TSS April weekly emails
• Schedule TSS March & April Slow Down Sessions
• Spend 60 minutes on next of F&F Sequence
• Revisit Use Your Tiny Stories to Get Off Survival Mode >> can I alter the ending and use this as an evergreen webi? What do I need to do to set this up?
• Notice Your People signup, make invitation to this webinar somewhere in email 3-5 in DGS welcome sequence
• Buy Copy School
• Dive into 10x Emails
• Photograph kids’ art

APRIL

Meaningful experiences: Tell the truth about Easter & Santa, Dave home 3 weeks during quarantine

• Get Tax Package from Bench
• Sell the TSS to DGS list without webinar
• Modify webinar for DGS—LNMN: The Bosses Guide to Move From Survival Mode to Pure Presence Keynote
• Record webinar
• Make TPP Sales Page inside Podia
• Make GPG ebook a freebie in Podia
• Create Annual Survey for DGS
• Scan & submit 2019 tax documentation to Dan
• Conversion Engineering Questions for TSS Sales Emails
• Rented a Skid Steer & made trails & new neighbor friends
• Get Kendall set up in Evernote
• Read: Home Grown
• Read: Unschool Manual
• Part 1 Design Feedback to Ally
• Part 2 Design Feedback to Ally
• Part 3 Design Feedback to Ally
• Break the Wheel Book Wrap
• Teach Kendall PARA
• Read Dumbing Us Down
• Signed K up for Section 3 Homeschooling with Carolina Homeschooler

MAY

Two meaningful experiences: Kendall’s room makeover, clearing the trails, visit from mom & dad

• Unschool research
• Record TSS Welcome Video & Tour of technology video
• Add Playbook to Podia
• Order Test Print of The Playbook
• Read: Free to Learn
• Read: Unschooling to University
• Visible Impact Content Themes in Dropbox
• Goodwill drop-off
• Write new TSS Sales Sequence from 10x emails (everything except closing emails)
• June TSS Community Content
• Finish reading: The Storyteller’s Secret
• My Stories & photos scheduled out in MN for Story Week
• Order scratch-off map to see where the Playbook has been shipped

JUNE

Two meaningful experiences: Amanda visited

• Read the Call of the Wild + Free
• List of TSS members addresses for mailing the Playbook
• Mail all owed Playbooks out into the world
• Add Playbook & photos to TSS Sales Page
• Add Annemiek + Mathias testimonials to Sales Page
• Read Aloud: Heaven is For Real
• Complete Visible Impact Program
• Write TSS 2-3 Close Sales emails for sequence from 10x emails
• Clean out IG content ideas into Evernote
• Share GPG Freebie on FB
• Add GPG Freebie to Sendible
• Clean out hutch
• Clean out big kitchen drawer
• Propagate ivy & hydrangeas
• Try candle making: make citronella candles
• Empty address book into an Address List in Evernote
• July TSS Weekly Content
• July SDS
• Start unschooling Chatbooks
• Review the Call of the Wild + Free
• Expand our woodland patio area & build retaining wall
• Get an extension cord to work outside
• Get 12×18 frames for Kendall’s art
• Order 12×18 frame for bubble photo
• Finish making Kendall’s tie quilt
• Ate first fresh peaches of the season
• Subscribed to Curiositystream
• Tried Outschool — meditation class
• Donated blood at Cedar Mtn

JULY

Meaningful experience: My respite

• Order 8×8 prints for Levi’s two frames
• Order electric stovetop to make candles outside with the kids
• Read: The Checklist Book
• Read: Homeschool Gone Wild
• Cleaned out iPad and phone photos and added to unschool books
• Print the water canvas 36×36 for laundry room & hang it
• Frame Michigan print
• Write about solo retreat to DGS newsletter
• Tarped area for working outside
• Goodwill run
• Made a batch of citronella candles
• Propagated hydrangeas & ivy
• Ordered prints from WHCC
• Cleaned out my dresser & bookshelves
• Washed the kids’ shower curtain
• Celebrated draft of MBSC Guide completion with Domino’s pizza
• Camped outside with the kids
• Create The Life-Brand Method
• Create a Sales Page for The Life-Brand Method in Podia
• Fill frames in hutch
• Order frame for watercolor scratch-off map
• Read: So You Wanna Talk About Race
• Try ivy cuttings in water
• Register Levi unschooling
• Write 5 more sales emails for the MBSC Guide
• MBSC Guide – add privacy vs. personal to the guide & link to Donald & Rachel podcast episode
• MBSC Guide – update the guide with contributor stories
• MBSC Guide – finalize guide, add to podia, send out to contributors & add TSS customers to bonus
• Can I use Zapier to add TSS buyers to bonuses in Podia?
• Complete Alexandra’s Marketing Without Social Media program
• Review Homeschool Gone Wild & share post
• Get spray paint for cans & figure out how to create holes
• Research potential causes for donations in trafficking & pick one to donate to (Donated $70 – woo hoo!)
• Write big unschool book blog post
• Hang the 4 frames in my bathroom
• Add all the captions for the June unschool books with the kids
• Contact BCBS re: Levi’s first visit & my therapy reimbursements
• Send BCBS Levi’s last visit
• Manage GoDaddy renewals & buy domain for the Life-Brand Method
• Finalize our “economy” pricing & print it out & hang on the kids’ walls
• Find instructions for a literary library
• Bring up second picnic table & make tarp area for outside “office”
• Create DGS Home and About PagesHang the swing & enjoy it
• Register DGS LLC

AUGUST

Meaningful experiences: Croft State Park + the kids each hosted their first sleepovers

• Order letter-writing paper and box of assorted greeting cards
• Make DND flag
• Order shoe container for deck door & two more fabric storage containers
• Make new friends: Dana & kids
• Ask about local homeschooling entrepreneurs & set up meetup
• Create Unschooling & Homeschooling Entrepreneurs FB group
• Listen to The Courage to Ask recording
• Watch movies outside with projector
• Felt my first earthquake
• Sell the LBM as a pre-sale with wicked cheap price using Pocket Products launch method
• Pick up & hang watercolor scratch-off map
• Thank the Power House / Ally Waller for print suggestion with photo of the map
• Make a special date / birthday list in a calendar
• August TSS Weekly Content
• August TSS Slow Down Session
• Complete Pocket Products program
• Get holes in cans
• Start Sour Dough starter
• Big Life Journal with Kendall (3 weeks)
• Complete Ask & Receive program
• Get a new external hard drive
• Build & paint two benches
• Freedom card to bank and pay $100
• Get storage container for empty candle cans
• Check Michael’s for large photo portfolios
• Make Dr. appt re: prescription & nausea
• Check Old Time Pottery for bench cushions
• Plant the lavender
• Clean up island from mice
• Thank you letter for Khalilah
• August Birthday cards
• Sort box of local things & start Adventure List
• Set camping plan with Stacey
• Get Halloween costumes from Costco
• Get a storage bin for small food storage containers
• Get a storage basket for Tripp’s blankets
• Get a storage container for shoes by the deck
• Get basket style hamper for paper to burn Order Levi’s birthday gifts
• Make energy date balls
• Make beef tacos & spicy watermelon recipe
• Make pineapple salsa
• Take Tripp to play & get a bath + nail trim
• Did a business consult with Sadie for fun
• Worked through a low energy funk that lasted a little less than a week
• Completed 5 Capterra reviews for $50 gift card to Amazon
• Created a pen pal / mailing cart

SEPTEMBER

Meaningful experiences: went to Blake & Jennifer’s wedding & ate alligator, visited mom & dad in Myrtle Beach

• September SDS
• Make Levi’s birthday cake
• Bike for Levi
• Check in with Courtney (Voxer)
• Sign up for a Fall Fitness Challenge
• Tag all DGS subscribers on the F&F List & remove Podia tagged
• Watch a movie on the outdoor screen as a fam
• Gave up on sourdough starter
• Begin my Homework for Life
• Visit Dr. Peacock & have bloodwork done
• Finish the LBM initial launch & cart close
• Start the Little Free Library with Dave
• T-Shirt Photo & Due Date to Amanda & Branden
• Send mug & keychain gift to Ebi
• Host “Get Unstuck” call to LBM
• Make weed killer & test it out
• Upload July & August photos to DB & unschool books
• Send next round of therapy bills + Greenville ADHD bill to BCBS
• Plant 6 ivy plants
• Make a bunch of candles
• Start outside office building
• Batch newsletters & posts as DGS blog posts
• Get pretty storage bins for candles, burning paper, and family reading books + activities
• Read: Storyworthy
  

OCTOBER 2020

Meaningful experiences: PA/DC trip with Stacey, Remy, & Luca and the MI/IN trip for Amanda & Branden’s baby gender reveal (baby girl!!)

• Clean out receipts drawer
• Call BCBS about therapy & Greenville ADHD claims
• Photo, write post, and share Storyworthy book + review on Amazon
• 5 more Capterra reviews
• Go on trip to Pennsylvania
• Curate pictures for 2021 calendar
• Update TSS Sales page with new “Daymaker” language
• Finish October newsletters to F&F
• Set up 2020 TSS Giveaway
• Write guide: How to Make the Most Meaningful Pictures of Your Life
• Read: Wild
• Bike for Kendall
• Birthday cake for Kendall
• Add DGS Freebies, The LBM, & TSS all over the F&F website
• Mail the Blue Ridge Postcards & trip postcards
• Move files to new external hard drive
• Get moved into my cabin office
• Finish Nicole’s journal & post to IG
• Plant the Fig tree
• Have kids do the Lancaster and DC postcards
• Attempt to drive stick shift
• Map emails + social for TSS launch
• Order Christmas gifts for Dave
• Vote
• New CK Tag 2021 TSS
• Help a couple clear their driveway of felled tree from Hurricane Zeta
• Told Aunt Linda thank you
• Bought the mattresses, rug, and lights for the cabin

NOVEMBER 2020

Meaningful experiences: Jody visited, first quiet Thanksgiving at home

• Finish the TSS Weekly Emails through #53
• Birthday weekend with Dave
• November TSS Launch Emails
• Black Friday Life-Brand Method Sale coupon, emails, & social posts
• November Social Media
• Order 2021 Costco calendars (4)
• Bring in plants for the winter, possibly get another bin
• Play in my Playbook & photograph the hell out of it
• Clean out email folder emails to Evernote & delete them
• Gatlinburg plan – Dollywood & what else?
• Blow leaves 3x on trails & driveway
• Clean up area around the swing
• Finalize and purchase Christmas gifts
• Photograph Levi / Email Stihl
• Pinterest graphics for all existing DGS blog posts & pin them
• Top 9 blog posts on Fearless and Framed – update & republish
• Welcome gift for Lee family
• Mail token to Jody
• Put away fall decor / decorate for Christmas
• Offer Fireside Chat with TSS – 1:1 or group? Conf. call, Zoom, or Voxer
• Host first Fireside Chat with TSS member
• Set up & ran first Tiny Story Power Hour
• Write both kids back
• Read: Where the Crawdads Sing
• Heartland marathon for my birthday
• Watch: Wild & Warm Bodies & World War Z with Dave
• Update unschool books for October
• Plan Thanksgiving meal
• Measure Levi for his chaps
• Move the blue bench
• Clean cooler & put it away
• Make Pinterest Project book
• Find next recipe to cook over the fire
• Created Notice worksheet & phone background & sent out to audience
• Add wallpaper to Little Free Library
• Created subscription for TSS alumni
• Audit all 300+ F&F blog posts & drive traffic to DGS
• Update Sendible F&F and DGS with new DGS posts / content
• Put all TSS Weekly Emails into a Google Doc – Checklists + Full Emails
• Dave made my desk & the cabin sectional for my birthday
• We got 3 pieces of the cabin porch built & installed
• Step added by the rock wall
• Screen door latches for cabin
• Screen door added to side door of house
• Dave did the attic trim
• Hang peanut butter lids on tree
• Christmas Chronicles family movie night
• Watched Loving
• Watched the Amish Life PBS documentary + Sound of Music with Kendall
• Watched PBS My Life as a Turkey with both kids
• Started Pinterest account for Dangerously Good Stories
• Created Pinterest Project binder
• Vodka & Vision Board night with Dave

DECEMBER 2020

Meaningful experiences: Christmas in the Smokies, biking with friends, awesome surprise gift from Auntie Deb

• Dave hung Kendall’s 3 art frames
• Empty & sort phone photos & videos
• Start Levi’s YouTube channel
• 90 Day Unschool report
• Vet appointment for Tripp’s vaccines & weight
• December TSS Launch Emails
• Christmas cards
• Check in with Courtney (Voxer)
• Cancel Netflix
• Plan Business & Babies / Kids here
• Set up Zoom & invites for next Power Hour
• Plan upcoming Power Hours with completed worksheets (2-3)
• Clean out Loom videos
• Clean out Dyson properly
• Get back in with Typeform
• November & December Slow Down Sessions
• Map a weekly rhythm plan using time blocking template – kid’s daily to-do list template
• Torch all candle cans (David)
• Write Top Tiny Story of 2020 Blog Post & email
• Watch Selena series on Netflix
• Watch Anne of Green Gables with Kendall
• Start a puzzle
• Plan 2021 Q1 social posts
• Host sleepover for the kids’ friends
• Holiday light drive with hot cocoa
• Read: Raising Free People
• Host two Fireside Chats with Tiny Story Society members
• Visit Dollywood
• Dentist appointment
• Create the Playbook & TSS Essentials only plan
• Create Zap for Instagram posts to pin to DGS & FF Pinterest accounts

What to do after the list is made:

2020 was my first year making this list. I look at it now and can see holes—like our many therapy appointments, certain doctor appointments, and other small things I did on the fly and then never noted them in my daily notebook.

All in all, as the year progressed, I got better at keeping this list. I’m confident that you’ll have a similar experience—as with anything new—in that it’ll be a bit rocky at first. Then, one day, it’ll feel innate.

Here’s a few insights I’ve gathered from looking at my 2020 list:

🌟 This list hold quite the contrast to the 100 Things I Noticed in 2020 list. Side by side, you can see two completely different lenses! I think most people see life more through the “Completed” productivity-marked list.

🌟 I’ve done A LOT of back end work on my business this year—including creating new things.

🌟 Because of all the creating and our new lifestyle, some of my core value work on my stories and making the people I care about feel seen has slipped.

🌟 I want to add more of the content I create to this list

🌟 Is August always a “nesting” type of month for me?! Because it certainly was in 2020!

🌟 I want to keep adding things I purchase to this list (or make a separate list for that?).

See? LOTS of insights!

You’ll find your own insights too.

And just in case you’re still not getting that boost of fulfillment I promised, read this from my friend & brilliant, bread-winner momma, Kyla.

Homework:

1. Continue or get back into the habit of keeping a daily to-do list / plan

2. At the end of each day, record ALL the things you’ve done (because you know it goes beyond what’s on your initial list)

3. Each time you reset your monthly plan, start by adding the previous month’s accomplishments (no matter how big or small) to your “Completed” list (whatever you call it).

4. 🌟🎉 FEEL FULFILLED AF AS YOU WATCH YOUR LIST GROW *KNOWING IT’S IN TOTAL ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR HIGHEST VALUES, PURPOSE, & DESIRES.*

If it’s not in alignment, reset your alignment and actions with this method.

5. At the end of the year, mine your 12 months of accomplishments for insights!

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Pretty good idea, right?

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