How Keeping a Work Journal Will Improve Your Career

We’ve probably all fallen into this trap. We are so concerned with accomplishing the many tasks on our to-do lists that we forget to stop and look at the big picture. We forget to think about how we can go above and beyond, consider what we’ve accomplished, or even check-in with how we’re feeling at work. As Kate White would say, we forget to “drain the swamp.” One of the best ways to make sure you’re regularly reflecting on your career is to keep a work journal.

In a Harvard Business Review article, The Power of Small Wins, Teresa Amabile and Steven J. Kramer discuss the concept of what they’ve termed the “power principle.” The authors asked professionals to keep diaries at work and, after studying these diaries, they identified the power principle, which states:

“Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work. And the more frequently people experience that sense of progress, the more likely they are to be creatively productive in the long run.”

The authors wrote about how managers could effectively use work journals and the power principle to motivate employees, but I think that you can use their findings to motivate yourself by making sure that you’re regularly reflecting and celebrating your progress and wins at work.

Use these work journal prompts once a week to reflect and plan for the future:

What are the top three things I accomplished this week?

What is the feedback I got this week?

What could I have done better this week?

What did I do to exceed expectations and “wow” my manager?

What tasks were the most energizing? What were the most draining?

Who are three people in my professional network or outside of it that I could reach out to and connect with next week?

What are the top three things I want to accomplish next week?

What are action items for accomplishing next week’s goals?

What am I grateful for at work?

Am I happy at work? Is there anything I can change to feel happier and more energized at work?

Keeping a work journal will help you reflect, focus, and consider the big picture of your career.

This post is modified from an article I wrote for Career Contessa!