It's a simple change, granted, but an oddly satisfying one. The idea is to emphasize what you accomplished instead of emphasizing what's left to do. It also makes it easier to see what is left.

Highlighting your completed tasks instead of crossing them off

We're big fans of <a color="blue" href="https://zapier.com/blog/paper-based-task-management/" dir="ltr">using paper as a productivity tool</a>—task lists in particular. The best tool is whatever works for you, and for some people, that means paper. It's just more tangible than a <a color="blue" href="https://zapier.com/blog/best-todo-list-apps/" dir="ltr">to-do list app</a>.Recently, Keren Kinberg, a frontend engineer here at <a color="blue" href="https://zapier.com/" dir="ltr">Zapier</a>, discovered a simple way to make her paper task list more effective: highlighting completed tasks instead of crossing them out.<img alt="Side-by-side tasks lists, one with completed tasks crossed off, one with completed tasks highlighted" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/lzny33ho1g45/6f6XveOrA2Gp4Iz6yLzEq1/b61be3f888e31c0800ff3657d9d00755/7b6e390415859fcff9242bfad5233d21.png?w=700" title="highlight-completed-tasks-01-side-by-side" width="598" height="519">It's a simple change, granted, but an oddly satisfying one.&nbsp;"I saw this tip online," Keren told me. "The idea is to emphasize what you accomplished instead of emphasizing what's left to do. It also makes it easier to see what is left."It's working out for Keren so far, so we thought we'd share it with you. And there are other benefits."It gave me an excuse to go buy a new highlighter," Keren added. "There's nothing like office stationery to make me happy."&nbsp;Looking for more alternatives to to-do list apps? Here's how to <a color="blue" href="https://zapier.com/blog/gmail-to-do-list/" dir="ltr">use Gmail as your to-do list</a> and how to <a color="blue" href="https://zapier.com/blog/google-sheets-to-do-list/" dir="ltr">replace your to-do list with a spreadsheet</a>.&nbsp;

productivity

Productivity

We're big fans of <a color="blue" dir="ltr" href="https://zapier.com/blog/paper-based-task-management/">using paper as a productivity tool </a>—task lists in particular. The best tool is whatever works for you, and for some people, that means paper. It's just more tangible than a <a color="blue" dir="ltr" href="https://zapier.com/blog/best-todo-list-apps/">to-do list app </a>.

Recently, Keren Kinberg, a frontend engineer here at <a color="blue" dir="ltr" href="https://zapier.com/">Zapier </a>, discovered a simple way to make her paper task list more effective: highlighting completed tasks instead of crossing them out.

It's a simple change, granted, but an oddly satisfying one.

"I saw this tip online," Keren told me. "The idea is to emphasize what you accomplished instead of emphasizing what's left to do. It also makes it easier to see what is left."

It's working out for Keren so far, so we thought we'd share it with you. And there are other benefits.

"It gave me an excuse to go buy a new highlighter," Keren added. "There's nothing like office stationery to make me happy."

Looking for more alternatives to to-do list apps? Here's how to <a color="blue" dir="ltr" href="https://zapier.com/blog/gmail-to-do-list/">use Gmail as your to-do list </a>and how to <a color="blue" dir="ltr" href="https://zapier.com/blog/google-sheets-to-do-list/">replace your to-do list with a spreadsheet </a>.

Highlight completed tasks instead of crossing them off

Highlighting your completed tasks instead of crossing them off

Brielle 's ideas are part of this journey:

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