The classic to-do list can be useful tool to
facilitate productivity, but it’s not without shortcomings.
For instance, assignments on your list may
involve a series of interconnected tasks, or require multiple steps that you
can’t easily describe in list format. Sometimes in the midst of carrying out
one duty, you’ll identify other issues that require attention, but which you
don’t necessarily have time for right now. Instead of crossing out items on
your to-do list, you may find yourself modifying and even extending it as the
hours march on.
For these reasons, you may find it useful to
keep a work journal, to either supplement or substitute for your to-do list.
Self-awareness
By simply taking the time to write down your goals,
lessons, and experiences you draw from each day, and any feelings or thoughts
you have about them, you afford yourself a chance to troubleshoot, and engage
your self-awareness and critical thinking skills.
Have you been avoiding, procrastinating over, or
struggling with a task? If so, your difficulties may owe to an emotional
obstacle, such as the fear of failure, an unwillingness to check your ego and
ask for help, or confusion over the next steps in the process. Journalling
forces you to put these barriers to success into words.
Paper or
digital?
Of course, this is a matter of personal
preference. A digital version offers the advantages of searchability and easy
modifiability. A paper (book) version helps to reduce your daily screen time,
and you won’t risk losing your journal entries due to a computer malfunction or
virus.
Regardless of the medium you choose for your
journal, organization is key: each entry should be clearly dated and easily
retrievable. You may also benefit from headlining each entry with two or three
main themes, for purposes of future reference. For example, “Order confirmation
for Mrs. Jafari; keyboard shortcuts”.
Honesty
and confidentiality
Like a personal diary, your work journal should
be a safe forum for you to express thoughts and concerns related to your job,
including the state of interpersonal relationships at the workplace. For this
reason, confidentiality is important.
If you believe there’s a risk that another
person will discover your journal, and that this discovery may affect your
relationships with colleagues or superiors, you’ll censor yourself. The more
extensively you engage in self-censorship, the less meaningful your journalling
will be to you, especially as the passage of time places distance between your
present state of mind and the content of older entries.
Learning
from experience
By writing down observations about your own
performance, new information you encounter, and lessons you learn from day to
day, you’ll stand a better chance of recalling those items when you need them.
For example, if an IT technologist at the office shows you a nifty trick for
accessing files on a database more quickly, your journal is a great place to
record the steps involved. Journalling can also help you learn from your mistakes
by noting both the specific details of an error, and the reason(s) why it
occurred.
Consider
making two daily entries.
A morning entry allows you to envision the day
ahead, and draw up your game plan. A second, follow-up entry in the evening allows
you to handicap your performance and hold yourself accountable.
Did you accomplish all of the goals you had set
for that day? If not, why not? Did you exceed your own expectations? If so,
what were the keys to your success?
