Gretchen Rubin: Instead of a to-do list, try a "ta-da list"

"CBS This Morning" has announced a new partnership with Gretchen Rubin's award-winning podcast "Happier." Every Monday, we will share one thing you can do today to live a happier, healthier and more productive life.

The New York Times best-selling author has studied happiness and human nature for over a decade.
 
This week, we're talking about daily to-do lists. Researchers have found 46% of people are overwhelmed by their to-do list. And 60% are so over-committed they cannot finish everything. 
 
Rubin said instead of making a to-do list, you should make a "ta-da list."

"Sometimes you may be resisting the to-do list," Rubin said on "CBS This Morning." "The ta-da list is — especially if you're working on a big project and you feel like, 'I've been working and working, I'm not making any progress' — write down everything you've done. Ta-da! It's encouraging, it's energizing."

Rubin also emphasized the value of a "could-do list."

"Some people don't like to be bossed around, even by themselves on their own to-do lists," Rubin said. "So instead of a to-do list, you do a could-do list. You could do it if you feel like it or not, it's up to you."

And a "to-day list" can help for tasks you need to get done without being too taxing.

"If you're overwhelmed, just what you have to do today is enough," Rubin said. "Don't think about tomorrow, just focus on today."