How To Keep Track Of Success: A Simple Guide

How To Keep Track Of Success

     Everyone I meet asks how I maintain a daily routine bound by distance. I simply say: "I've been isolated as a remote Consultant for so long that it has become common sense to track my days," as when you work in isolation, you also find yourself wondering how yesterday went. To top that off, I have a bad enough memory, so I will go ahead and place the following words in concrete: keep track of every action you make.

What You Accomplish

     By doing so, you are paving the path for success. When you write down your daily tasks, starting with the day and time, as well as every action you make, you are able to look back upon the day and know that you did something worthwhile. Even better, you are able to look back on it the next day and recall everything you did. That allows you to further your day to pick up where you left off.

     Some of us, however, are bound by workload. In other words, it is simply not common sense to take the time to do this when your entire day is a chaotic mess. Well, think about this: can you take 2 minutes out of every day to simply jot down in one word what you were doing, what you were focusing on, or even what you may have learned?

How To Do It

     Start with a daily sheet of paper. Or use your phone's "Notepad" feature. I tend to use a .txt document, as it allows for a more concrete narrative. Next, throughout each day outline in one-word sentences exactly what you are doing, what you have done, and what you need to do. Do this throughout the day. Next, at the end of each day, write down your thoughts. It does not have to be long, just enough to tell yourself a few wise words so the next day is equated as worthwhile. This helps those of us who work at home, but what if you work for a company? What if you do not own your own business or offer your own service? Furthermore, how much can you possibly write in such a scenario about "work?"

     It's a simple answer after all: "work" is divided into multiple tasks. Say, you spend two hours in a meeting. So, write down in one word: "Meeting." Next, you exit the meeting room and go back to writing a billing report. Write down in one word: "Reports."

Your Success Adds Up!

     It takes a lot of practice, but it is well advised that you do things like this. It will soon pile up a long list of tasks, leading to a feeling of accomplishment. It also allows you to know where you left off. If you write down "Report" or even "Billing," you may remember more readily the next day that you forgot to finish it! If that does not make sense, you are out of your mind. And does it have to be only one word? Heck no! Write down as  much as you want.

I tend to find myself using power words when jotting down my daily accomplishments. Remember, the human mind is programmable, and it is also very simple. It requires small actions to accomplish larger goals. We cannot simply say: "I will own the world." Instead, we have to carefully map out the steps it takes to get there. In turn, we are then able to attribute those steps as "goals," which (when completed) lead to a sense of value and self-worth. I will not lie when I say: this method works. 

Every darned day.