Do you ever question if you’re doing anything right?
Recently, one of my coaching clients – an educator – was beginning to doubt his career path. “I got into this work to make a difference,” he shared, “but so many days now, I wonder if I’m doing that at all.” What began as a passion and a calling had become a source of constant second-guessing.
Do you sometimes go to bed wondering if you’ve made any type of positive contribution that day?
We all experience doubt, uncertainty, less-than-remarkable days, and “funks.” One of my favorite ways to lessen the frequency of these, as well as to pull yourself out of them more quickly, is an action that takes less than two minutes per day:
The Success Journal.
I’ve been teaching my coaching clients the value of keeping a Success Journal for over 15 years and the results have been astounding. The process is simple, enlightening, and can shift your entire mindset – even if the thought of journaling makes you cringe a bit.
Essentially, the Success Journal involves jotting down one win per day. A quick triumph in a bullet point. Right before you leave the office or just before you go to bed, writing a few words that capture something you consider a success from the day.
That’s it.
Simple, right? But profound and, in many cases, life-changing. So impactful, in fact, that we’ve designed and sold various journals* just for this purpose over the years.
Myriad benefits stem from keeping a Success Journal, such as:
- Shifting your perspective to focus on wins rather than failures.
- Reinforcing your positive actions.
- Providing a track record of your success – something very helpful to review prior to an event requiring an extra dose of confidence.
- Expanding your mindset.
- Creating a visual anchor of daily details you might otherwise overlook and/or forget.
Once they’ve stockpiled a series of wins in their Success Journals, I encourage my clients to review them often – especially if they need to boost themselves up for a difficult conversation, important presentation, or job interview. The educator I mentioned earlier found the process so valuable, he began suggesting the practice to other educators as well as students.
Want to start your own Success Journal? No time like the present! A few helpful hints:
- Secure a journal, notebook, or computer document distinctly for this purpose. (Our signature Success Journals have two bookmark ribbons – one for regular journaling and one for the stand-alone Success Journal portion.)
- Place it prominently so you see it daily – a visual cue. Or, set a reminder on your phone to write in your Success Journal.
- Keep it simple. Just a brief bullet-point entry is fine! The simpler it is, the more likely you are to continue it.
- Record a general win from the day, or if you are working toward a specific Bold Goal, you can focus your Success Journal entries to that goal.
- Commit to daily entries for three weeks. After that short time, you’ll already have a list of over 20 wins to buoy your confidence and mindset!
If you miss a day, just pick up where you left off, or reflect on a win in hindsight. Consider tracking – in your calendar, planner, or habit-tracking chart – each day that you enter a success in order to reinforce the habit. Several of my clients will put a little “X” in their planner every day when they write in their Success Journal.
John Irving, the author of one of my favorite novels, once wrote,”Good habits are worth being fanatical about.” Let the Success Journal become such a habit. Your mindset will begin shifting to one of success, triumph, and positivity, which will carry over into other areas of your work, leadership, and life. Definitely worth 2 minutes of your time!
* MAP Inc. Success Journals will be available for sale at Spark this fall. Join our mailing list for details!
Let me know how your Success Journal goes! Share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and purpose!
A certified and award-winning coach, author, and speaker, Christi is a recognized leadership and professional development expert. She has received such honors as NAWBO Iowa Business Owner of the Year, Forty Under 40, Forbes Coaches Council, and is current president of ICF Iowa. She is a frequently sought-after speaker and writer, contributing to Forbes, The Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.
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