Why should you track your accomplishments?
Day in. Day out. Lather, wash, rinse and repeat. We often get caught up in completing our daily tasks that we don’t even realize how much we’ve accomplished. On the other hand, we might know we’ve accomplished a lot, but when busy with work demands, we can’t seem to remember our successes once it’s time to reflect on them. But this is a mistake many of us make. Keeping tabs on your accomplishments is vital to your career profession and building confidence in yourself.
Let’s look at a few other reasons you should track your achievements.
- Asking for a promotion – When you feel it’s time to advance in your career, you’ll probably want to sit down with your boss to discuss new opportunities. Remember that your boss isn’t going to give you a promotion because you want it. You’ll need hard evidence proving you deserve it.
- Job hunting – Having your achievements on hand will better prepare you for interviews and make it much easier to re-write your resume. Keeping a record of your accomplishments will demonstrate your organization and help impress recruiters and hiring managers.
- Improve networking skills – Networking can be nerve-wracking. When talking to new people for the first time, you might find yourself at a loss for words. When you build the habit of tracking your work and achievements, this information will always be in the back of your head, ready to be shared.
- To prepare for a performance review – By tracking your accomplishments, you will also be able to see how you’re improving, if you’re meeting or exceeding your KPIs and other measures of success. Doing this makes performance reviews no longer a shock. Or if you believe you’ve been under-recognized, you will have the evidence to back it up.
- Look for areas of improvement – Have you ever been asked, “What’s your biggest weakness” during an interview and not known what to say? Your achievement log is a visual representation of our achievements. As you go through the log, you’ll begin to see consistencies in areas that you constantly excel at and areas you lack.
What types of accomplishments should you track?
- Financial goals
- Overcoming challenges
- Awards and moments of recognition
- Advancements or promotions
- Exceeding expectations
- Managing stress or pressure at work
Additional information to include:
- Context of task performed
- Your specific role in completing the task, as well as your impact
- Names and positions of key people involved. These can be managers, co-workers
- Your strengths and weaknesses. Explain what worked and what didn’t
- Description of the task’s outcome
- Timeline of the task. Include starting and ending dates
- Skills and knowledge gained during the task
Methods of tracking achievements
Now that we understand the importance of tracking accomplishments and what to include, you also need to know how to log them. None of these tracking methods is a one-size fit. You can use just one of these methods or a combination of them. Determining what works best for you might take trial and error. Be patient, and don’t force yourself to commit to a method if it’s not working.
Remember, the key to success is consistency. Once you find what works for you, you need to make it a point to log your achievements regularly. As you build this habit, it will soon become second nature.
Use an app
If you prefer to log your achievements as they happen, consider trying an app. Our phones are on us practically 24/7, so what better way to track achievements in real time than with an app?
Online portfolio
If you work in a role like a full-stack web developer, you might consider using an online portfolio to track your projects. You can display your skillset in a visual representation that can even be used to show clients and employers.
Brag file
Using a word processor or spreadsheet, create an ongoing file to document work-related successes. You can record any milestones or goals achieved and compliments from co-workers, managers and clients.
Handwritten journal
Not into using fancy apps or spreadsheets? Good old-fashioned paper and pen can also get the job done.
Calendar
Whether you use a physical calendar or one on your phone, you can track your achievements at the end of each day. Doing this will help you reflect on how daily “wins” contribute to your bigger goals.
Audio recording
If you struggle to put thoughts into words, give audio recordings a try. You can record your achievements using a voice memo app at the end of the day or on your drive home. You can even turn your recordings into transcripts using other apps and websites.
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