How OK are you with what you did today?
I created my daily planning guide mainly because I needed it. I would get to the day's end feeling dissatisfied with what I accomplished, which was sad because I, like you, get a lot done. But unless I made it tangible, I would stay up late second-guessing myself. Questions like "Why didn't I get more done?" and "Did I make the best choices?" were common. This self-nagging moved me from celebration towards judgement.
Does this happen to you? If so, here's a simple productivity hack for you to try: For one week, work each day from a daily plan then bring it home at night for reflection. Review it an hour before going to bed, and then again before you turn out the light when you hit the sack. Don't worry if your plan fell to pieces during the day (let's be realistic - it happens). Just keep it up-to-date as well as possible.
After a week ask yourself: How did your self-image change? Were you generally pleased with how much you got done? What about your choices - did they seem mature to you in hindsight? Finally, how might this change your future during the day?
I'm curious...
- Have you tried anything like this before? How'd it go?
- What other methods do you use to stay positive about your accomplishments, i.e., to not look for the negative space?
Reader Comments (2)
The daily planning guide seems like a very good idea. It will help one to accomplish small tasks everyday and these will undoubtedly make goals easier to reach.
It has honestly worked wonders for me, NP Jara. It's a major missing link to systems like GTD, if you have one.