Free done list maker

What a done list is

A done list is the opposite of a to-do list. Instead of writing what is left, you write what you finished. At the end of the day you list each thing you closed, one per line, and look at it for a moment before you stop.

It sounds small, and it is. That is the point. Busy days often feel like nothing moved, because the work that filled them was not on any plan: the call that ran long, the fix nobody asked for, the email that took an hour. A done list catches that work and turns it into something you can see.

Why it helps

Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer analyzed the daily diaries of knowledge workers and reported that making progress in meaningful work was the most important contributor to a good workday. It was an observational diary study, so it shows a strong link, not proof of cause. A done list is a simple way to notice that progress instead of losing it. It can also make the next morning easier, because you start from proof that things moved, not from a list of what is missing.

How to use this maker

1. List what you finished. One thing per line. Bullets and numbers you paste in are tidied away.
2. Make the list. You get a dated done list, a count and a one line summary of what it shows.
3. Keep it or share it. Copy it into your notes, print it, or send it to someone you report to.
4. Point it somewhere. If the list keeps circling one goal, give that goal a finish date and plan it backward.

Read the full guide to the done list, or try the free reverse planner. In the Start From Done app, every 45 minute sprint you finish lands on your Done list.

Questions

What is a done list?

A done list records what you finished instead of what is left. You write it at the end of the day, one finished thing per line, so your progress is something you can see.

Where is my list kept?

Only in this browser, on this device. It is never sent to us or anyone. It stays until the end of the day or until you tap Clear. We only count anonymous page events, never the words.

What counts as done?

Anything you finished, however small: a call made, a page written, a run, a bill paid. Half done work can go on tomorrow's list once it is finished.

How is this different from a to-do list?

A to-do list shows what is missing, and it often grows faster than it shrinks. A done list shows what you actually moved, which makes a good day easier to see and tomorrow easier to start.