Happiness is a Checklist
I have found that checking off things on my to do list makes me feel good. The reason? Well biologically, crossing an item off your list makes the brain secret a small dose of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that is responsible for giving us the feeling of satisfaction and happiness. It makes us feel good, much in the same way repeatedly hitting the play button at the casino does, or gobbling up another potato chip.
A checklist also helps organize your work efforts and break down large jobs into manageable tasks. When working on large complex sculptures I found that breaking down the production phases into a series of small steps in a list helped me psychologically deal with what originally appeared to be an insurmountable obstacle.
I think most of the things that add value to your work are not insignificant and or easy. They are the opposite, large and difficult to accomplish. Chopping down huge complex projects into smaller, more manageable bites allows you to chip away at that intimidating block of stone.
