Remembering Your Successes

Ever get to a performance review and have problems remembering all the great points you wanted to bring up? While it’s easy to think that your outstanding PowerPoint presentation created in May will still be remembered in December, it is oftentimes hard to recall past accomplishments as new information becomes front and center in both your head and that of your manager.

Creating a success journal is an excellent way of combatting this problem. Get a calendar planner that allows significant space for writing on each date. (A notebook works fine, too, just jot the date each time you write.) Describe the task you completed, the compliments received, the value the action produced for the company -- whatever captures how the event was important. When annual review time comes around, go back over the entries. Not only will looking at these accomplishments jog your memory, it will help increase your mood and confidence heading into the meeting.

Even if you keep a regular diary or journal already, dedicating a separate book to career matters is wise because it allows relevant information to be easily accessible. Such a timeline of your achievements can help you monitor how you’ve grown as a professional and is a valuable resource when trying to revise a résumé. And on days when customers are complaining or a new project seems daunting, reading a few entries may be exactly what you need to remember how capable you are!

Image courtesy of Thinkstock/George Doyle