Am I Normal?habits
I add tasks I've already completed to a to-do list just to cross them off
Retroactive list completion is a well-known behaviour driven by the psychological need for visible progress. Crossing off a completed task releases a small amount of dopamine — the same reward as completing a new task. The brain doesn't distinguish between tasks that were planned and tasks that were done spontaneously and then recorded.
Have you ever done this?
Be honest — have you ever done this?
Related fact
The Zeigarnik effect shows the brain holds incomplete tasks in active memory at higher priority than completed ones. Checking off tasks literally closes mental loops — reducing cognitive load and background mental noise.