Why You Should Celebrate Your Undone To-Do List

If you’re anything like me, you keep imagining the seemingly unattainable Nirvana of a totally completed To-Do list. Every item ticked, crossed off, deleted, and crushed under my feet.

For most of us though, the everyday reality is an ever-growing To-Do list – not just running to stand still, but running to sink further into the sand – and all the frustration, disappointment, and self-flagellation that accompanies it.

Well, I think I may have just found a way to turn this daily self-torture into a cause for praise and rejoicing.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer makes a To-Do list every day, prioritizing what’s most important each day. And instead of getting overwhelmed by the long list of items left unfinished at the end of each day, she celebrates the fact that she never finished her list.

“That would mean spending lots of time on relatively unimportant tasks,” Mayer explained. ”If I did [get to the bottom of the list] it would be a real bummer,” Mayer said. “Because think about all those things at the very bottom of your to-do list that really shouldn’t take time out of your day.”

Genius!

Now, just have to explain this new approach to the “Honey-Do list” to my wife.

See also: The Amazing History Of To-Do lists And How To Make One That Actually Works