The Done List Revisited
by Kym on February 26, 2008
I have had a breakthrough in house cleanliness. Her name is Dedee. While individually we are fabulous women, together? We are…umm…even more fabulous. Yes.
We have taken the concept of The Done List and applied it in exponential fashion. The Done List, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, is a record of what you achieve during the course of the day. I’ve found it to be a lovely motivational tool, especially as I leave a copy where Neil can see it at the end of the day and be moved near to tears by the hard word and toil his wife has endured.
Heh.
Anyway, what Dedee and I have done is in my humble opinion beyond brilliant. We open up a Gmail chat window, have a quick chat, then set off to work. We putter around and as we accomplish things we report back to each other in the chat window. Did dishes. Changed laundry over. Soothed screaming child. Did not in any way physically harm screaming child. Swept floor. Tidied living room. You know. That sort of thing.
These Done List bouts are without a doubt my most efficient times of the day. An hour of whizzing around and then bragging reporting in to Dedee has seen more done than I sometimes accomplish in the whole course of a day.
Yes, I realize how embarrassing that is but hey, I have other strengths. Or something.
Here is what I got done in an hour of done listing yesterday morning.
From this….
To this…
And from this…
To this…
Done Listing rocks my world.
24 comments
I’m so stinkin glad you get as much out of it as I do. My house is not falling apart because of it!
Yippeee!!!
by Dedee on February 26, 2008 at 7:16 pm. #
I think this idea is GENIUS! I sort of do this already- like, I’ll do a few things, then write them down on a to-do list and cross them off just for the inspiration of seeing SOMETHING that’s been accomplished!
by desperate housewife on February 26, 2008 at 7:36 pm. #
Wow. You must be super fast or something. I love the kitchen. I don’t have little ones around anymore and its amazing how the list has shortened. But, my husband does a good job of keeping me active.
by Jan on February 26, 2008 at 7:55 pm. #
Wow. You rock. Maybe I should try that done list. Then I might actually get stuff done during the day. :)
by Hillary on February 26, 2008 at 8:17 pm. #
Seriously? Wow!!
You two are obviously brilliant for your scheme. Way to go!!
(Love the before and after pictures.) ;)
by Magirk on February 26, 2008 at 8:22 pm. #
You are brilliant – I hate feeling at the end of the day that I have nothing to show for. Even on days when my calendar is blank, I know – I KNOW – that I will be busy, busy all the day long.
Thanks for the idea, and nice job, btw.
by Lisa Milton on February 26, 2008 at 8:22 pm. #
Love it. I used to keep a planner just for that reason!
by JustRandi on February 26, 2008 at 8:34 pm. #
Best line ever”Did not in any way physically harm screaming child”
Weeee!! There is nothing like a screaming child to bring out the urge to wack;p
I do something similar,only mine involves working out. Do a set,do a chore. Do a set,do another chore. So on and so on. Your way sounds likes so much more fun!
by Ms.L on February 26, 2008 at 8:54 pm. #
Cool idea. I think involving the computer in my housecleaning might get way over complicated. I’d probably start surfing the net for better cleaners, or sponges, then “accidentally” find myself on the Apple website looking at new photo software, suddenly my inbox would fill up… and pretty soon no chores done. Yea, I think I’ll keep to my system of NO computer until my chores are done. Maybe I should even have my mother call me to check up…
by Cristy on February 26, 2008 at 9:32 pm. #
Congratulations, I’m still trying out flylady but if that fails I’m trying a done list!
by Fooferoo on February 26, 2008 at 9:49 pm. #
‘Kay, this is genius. Serious.
Way to go on getting your house lookin’ AMAZING. (And thanks for the before pictures. That’s how my house looks, um, NOW, and to see that it CAN be done is a motivation in and of itself.)
by Beth on February 26, 2008 at 10:15 pm. #
Totally awesome…as my 7 year old would say.
by Elaine on February 26, 2008 at 10:50 pm. #
I do a similar thing with a girlfriend – we have decided we can talk as long as we’d like on the phone as long as we are busy the entire time. And we check with each other to see what is getting done while we visit. It’s a wonderful concept!
by Melissa on February 26, 2008 at 10:57 pm. #
sheer ingenuity. before/after photos have a certain motivational quality too, eh?
i think my problem often lies in that much of what i expend my energy on each day is invisible–dishes, floors, laundry, tubs are all back to their former state within a few hours (sometimes minutes) of having tidied them. one can’t see the owies kissed, the books read, the blocks constructed, the child taken to the potty for the seventeenth time that hour. so it’s nice to have a system in place where all the doings get noticed.
and it’s nice to be affirmed. sheer ingenuity.
by Nic on February 26, 2008 at 10:58 pm. #
The “done list” is a great idea. I’m glad it’s helping you around the house. Sometimes we get through the day and wonder what we’ve gotten accomplished and this way you can look back and see for yourself.
by Tonya on February 26, 2008 at 11:30 pm. #
you do NOT wanna see the result of not having a done list. that would be my house. yikes.
but i hung shelves at the weekend! surely that should have made her room cleaner! sadly…no.
by holly on February 26, 2008 at 11:58 pm. #
Brilliant plan ladies.
by The MomBabe on February 27, 2008 at 12:02 am. #
You are brilliant! Way to find motivation in life … and your kitchen is so sparkly!
by An Ordinary Mom on February 27, 2008 at 12:09 am. #
I LOVE it! Much more fun to clean with a friend, even if it is virtual!
Must find virtual friend…
by mindyluwho on February 27, 2008 at 1:37 am. #
DUDE!! I love that quilt in the bedroom done picture!!!
(also, good motivational idea. How come I never see you on gmail chat, anyhow? You’re avoiding me, aren’t you??)
by Thalia's Child on February 27, 2008 at 3:31 am. #
I love your kitchen, and it all looks gorgeous!
Thanks for reminding me about the “done list”. I was trying to remember what it was the other day when I was making my “to do list” and couldn’t. I think my brain cells are being sucked out this week, hahaha.
You are awesome!!!! Now can you come help me with my house? :D
by Rebecca on February 27, 2008 at 4:10 pm. #
looks beautiful! I need to take part in brillinat ideas like this and see if they work for me :)
by Julie Wright on February 28, 2008 at 2:27 am. #
i’ve never heard of a done list before, but i love it. i wonder if my husband would appreciate an email every time i accomplish something? probably not. but i might find a dedee who will do this with me.
thanks for the great idea.
by the way, does “accidentally spent an hour reading blogs” count on your done list?:)
by Michal on February 28, 2008 at 4:15 am. #
I do this with my girlfriends!! You don’t realize the million little things you do all day long if you don’t stop once in a while and write them down! It’s so gratifying.
I want to play it with you and Dedee!! :)
by Deb on March 6, 2008 at 5:12 am. #