I do that at work with Jira tickets

That's funny, but I've actually heard that recommended professionally as a legitimate tactic.

Unless I make a list and cross off items, I feel zero accomplishment/dopamine.

That's also called a "Ta-Da List".

I do that, less for the immediate dopamine and more for the sake of creating a log/record so that when I inevitably forget what I accomplished yesterday/last week/back in August, I can look that shit up for a mega dopamine hit when I realize I was a lot more productive than I thought.

If I didn't cheat on my to-do lists I'd never cross anything off.

Fuck I can’t keep seeing these while I remain “undiagnosed”

This is the way

Thanks for reminding me to do this

I do this too, mostly so that when I look at the previous week's list I don't feel bad that I missed stuff. I can see the other bullshit that I had to do instead and see that I wasn't just slacking.

Heard someone call that a ta-dah list, which is what all my lists are called now

I do the same thing, but it's usually when I forgot to add to the list but didn't forget to do it.

Are there people who don't do this?

My to-do list has become a place where my tasks go to die. I think it is because in my mind if it’s there I won’t forget to do it now so it’s no longer urgent and I don’t do it. It’s growing longer and longer now.

Me when my job performance is tracked by “tickets closed”.

I put "write a to-do list" on every to-do list

No joke, it’s the most direct solution to the problem of “shadow work” that I know of.

Unexpected yet unavoidable tasks are just a fact of life, even for the experienced and organized. Tracking them makes you better at anticipating them next time.

Advanced calculus: do the same for recreation, rest, entertainment, and hobbies to re-frame fun as a responsibility and recovery as well-invested time.

Sometimes I do it too. Usually when I'm so deep in some side quest it overshadowed the main story, and suddenly remember there's a to-do list to go through.