Do you ever get to the end of a really busy day, look at everything still left on your to-do list and somehow convince yourself you haven’t done enough?
Even though you’ve actually done loads?
I recently came back across the idea of a reverse to-do list, thanks to my friend, colleague and business coach Dr Holly Tett, who spoke about it on her podcast. I’ve also heard Jay Shetty talking about it recently too.
So it definitely seems to be having a bit of a moment.
I prefer to call it the ta-da list.
And it’s ridiculously simple.
Instead of only writing down everything you still need to do, you start recording the things you’ve already done.
Why our to-do lists can make us feel worse
The problem with a traditional to-do list is that it constantly shows us what’s left.
Reply to those messages.
Send the invoices.
Post on social media.
Update the website.
Chase that payment.
Finish that course you bought six months ago…
You can tick off five things and somehow add another seven.
So even after an incredibly productive day, your brain looks at everything unfinished and says:
“You didn’t do enough.”
That’s where the ta-da list can help.
What goes on a ta-da list?
Anything you’ve achieved.
And I don’t just mean the big, shiny business wins.
For a pet professional, your list might include:
- Walked five dogs safely
- Replied to a difficult client message
- Sent three invoices
- Had a discovery call
- Changed the diary around at short notice
- Supported an anxious client
- Held a boundary
- Asked someone for help
- Took a proper lunch break
- Finished work when you said you would
- Spent some quality time with your own animals
- Rested because you needed to
Because rest counts too.
So do boundaries.
So does asking for support.
So does saying no to something you don’t have capacity for.
Those things aren’t separate from running a sustainable pet business.
They’re part of it.
Make the invisible work visible
A lot of what we do as pet professionals doesn’t produce a big visible result.
Driving between clients.
Managing risk.
Thinking through a difficult situation.
Reassuring somebody.
Making decisions.
Writing notes.
Planning.
Holding emotional space for clients.
It all takes time, skill and energy.
A ta-da list gives you somewhere to acknowledge it.
And I think we could all do with giving ourselves a little more credit for the work nobody else sees.
Don’t turn this into another job!
Please don’t read this and decide you now need a £25 journal, a new productivity app and a colour-coded spreadsheet.
Use the Notes app on your phone.
A scrap of paper.
A whiteboard.
The back of yesterday’s to-do list.
Whatever works.
Then simply add things as you go.
You can absolutely still keep a small to-do list or priority list too.
One list tells you where you’re going.
The other reminds you how far you’ve already travelled.
Try it for seven days
Here’s my challenge:
For the next seven days, keep a ta-da list.
At the end of each day, spend just 30 seconds looking over it and ask yourself:
What did I do today that I would normally have forgotten to give myself credit for?
Maybe choose three things you feel particularly pleased about.
They don’t have to be the biggest achievements.
Just the ones that mattered.
Because there will probably always be another email, another client task, another bit of admin or another idea waiting for you.
That doesn’t mean today wasn’t enough.
So tonight, instead of asking:
“What didn’t I get done?”
try asking:
“What can go on my ta-da list?”
And actually allow yourself to feel proud of it.
Ta-da.
This blog was inspired by a solo episode of The Pet Business Wellbeing Podcast with Nathan Dunleavy.
Listen here or wherever you download your podcasts from.
If you’d like more support with building a pet business that works for you rather than consumes you, you can find out more about my one-to-one business mentoring, Circle+ group mentoring membership and practical digital resources at the Nathan Dunleavy website.
You can also join my free Facebook group: The Pet Business Wellbeing Circle.
Wellbeing isn’t a luxury. It’s part of the business plan.
