Frequently Asked Questions About the Done List Method
As a coach, I hear many of the same questions and concerns from people adopting a new goal-setting system. It’s natural to wonder how this will fit into your unique situation. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about using a Done List for motivation and consistency.
1. What if I have too many goals? How do I choose what to focus on?
This is the most common challenge. The Done List system works best when you are focused on a small number of priorities. If you try to make progress on ten different goals, you’ll end up making meaningful progress on none of them. The solution is ruthless prioritization. For any given quarter, choose just one or two major areas of focus—what we call your “Quarterly Themes.” This doesn’t mean you ignore everything else in your life; it just means you are dedicating your limited discretionary energy toward a specific outcome. Ask yourself: “What one or two goals, if achieved in the next 90 days, would have the biggest positive impact on my life?” Choose those. Everything else can either be maintained at its current level or put on a “someday/maybe” list to be revisited next quarter. A Done List filled with tiny, scattered tasks across many goals is far less powerful than one showing deep, focused work in one key area.
2. My priorities often conflict or change. How can a Done List help with that?
Life is dynamic, and priorities can shift. The Done List, combined with a weekly review, is an excellent tool for navigating this. When a new, urgent priority emerges (e.g., a critical project at work, a family emergency), your weekly review is the time to consciously adjust your plan. You might decide to pause one of your input goals for a week or reduce its intensity. For example, instead of “Write for 5 hours,” your goal might become “Write for 1 hour” to simply maintain momentum. The key is to make a conscious choice rather than letting your goals fall by the wayside reactively. Your Done List will then reflect this new, temporary priority. It provides a record of how you are realistically allocating your effort based on current circumstances, preventing the guilt that comes from “failing” to stick to an outdated plan.
3. I have very low motivation. How can starting a Done List help when I don’t feel like doing anything?
This is precisely where the Done List is most powerful. When motivation is low, the idea of a huge goal is paralyzing. The Done List method tells you to ignore the huge goal. Your only task is to do something incredibly small—so small you can’t say no—and then write it down. If your goal is to exercise, don’t focus on a 30-minute workout. Make the goal “Put on your running shoes and walk to the end of the driveway.” Do it, then immediately write it on your Done List: “Put on running shoes and walked outside.” That tiny checkmark is a small shot of dopamine. It’s a win. The next day, maybe you walk around the block. The goal is to break the cycle of inertia with the smallest possible action and to immediately acknowledge it. Action creates motivation, not the other way around. The Done List is the official record of your action, no matter how small.
4. My goal is ambiguous, like “be more creative.” How do I define metrics for something so subjective?
This is a great question that gets to the heart of turning vague desires into actionable projects. The key is to define the behaviors or inputs that you believe lead to creativity. You can’t directly measure “creativity,” but you can measure actions that foster it. This is where you translate the abstract into the concrete. What does “being more creative” look like in practice? It could mean a number of things. Your input goals could be: “Write 500 words of fiction three times a week,” or “Spend 30 minutes sketching with no specific goal,” or “Visit one art museum or gallery per month.” These are all specific, measurable, and controllable actions. You choose the inputs you believe will lead to your desired outcome. Your Done List will then track your consistency with these creative habits, and over time, you can assess whether these behaviors are indeed helping you feel more creative.
