I am, without a doubt and unequivocally, what you would describe as a Type A person. I am the big planner in our home, an Excel sheet extraordinaire, the chief organizer of our friend group, and a list maker to the max. My morning begins with a cup of coffee, my favorite pen, and my planner (which I’ve repurchased five years in a row), and I promptly write down the day’s tasks in order of priority to minutiae.
It’s all very regimented and by the book and, if I’m being completely honest, sometimes a little bit overwhelming to see all those to-dos ahead of me. But I discovered something recently: I was scrolling on social a few weeks ago, and saw someone mention the concept of a “ta-da” list. The list girl I am, I was intrigued instantly.
What Is a Ta-Da List?
The ta-da list is basically a way to take inventory of all your accomplishments. Instead of writing things down that you need to do, it’s a list of the things you’ve already done. (You’re saying a congratulatory, “ta-da!” Get it?) They’re a complement to to-do lists, and strangely motivating.
“To-do lists are meant to motivate us and serve as daily reminders of what needs to be accomplished. Like flashcards, they act as a visual guide within our routines,” explains Kaja Sokola, CP, LPC, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. “However, when things don’t go as planned, they can leave us feeling drained or disappointed, causing motivation to decline rather than increase.”
I’ve found myself in this place more than a handful of times, TBH, and when I’m there, it’s almost paralyzing. This is where the “ta-da” list comes into play.
The Mental Health Benefits of a Ta-Da List
Seeing everything you’ve already done demonstrates just how much you’ve accomplished, regardless of how challenging the day/week was or how much you felt like you missed or messed up. “It’s essentially a way of providing positive reinforcement to ourselves, and research shows that positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for behavior change,” explains Alexis Briggie, PhD, director of psychology at Silver Hill Hospital. “Oftentimes when we feel successful in having accomplished small goals, we experience heightened motivation and momentum to keep going with accomplishing bigger goals.”
Allison Chawla, LCSW, PhD, agrees. She says that we tend to be so overly busy in our day-to-day, caught up in the whirlwind of getting it all done and (fingers crossed) landing on two feet at the end of the day. A ta-da list gives us a chance to high-five ourselves for doing even the littlest things. “You brushed your teeth, you fed your pets, you put a presentable outfit on, you loaded the dishwasher before work so it was complete when you got home, and you even sent that stressful email out,” Dr. Chawla says. “We so easily forget how important even the finest of tasks are, and how they require our energy and time.”
How to Create a Ta-Da List Ritual
First things first: This isn’t an either-or situation. I’ll cling to my precious daily to-do list for years to come, but weaving in the ta-da list has made a pretty big difference in how I feel about myself. I personally like a weekly cadence, and my ta-da list focuses on things that may not make it on my regular to-do list but are still worth a pat on the back.
For example, I’ll include things like “took my vitamins every day this week,” “connected with a good friend for a couple hours on the phone,” “took a really long walk outside,” or “got the fridge filled even though it was the last thing I wanted to do.”
Yours will look different because your life is different. Maybe you’ll prefer a weekly cadence, too, or perhaps a daily ta-da-list is your speed. Or maybe it’s a running note in your phone that gets updated now and again. You can start by writing just one thing down, or set a goal to write down a list of five things per day or per week. I can only speak for myself, but I’ve found that a ta-da list has helped me see myself in a softer light, and it’s even become a surprising source of confidence and motivation. Five stars, A+, 100% recommend.
This article was written by Wendy Rose Gould is a lifestyle reporter based in Phoenix, Arizona. To learn more about her, visit http://www.wendygould.com/.