Who: Every administrative assistant will beneift from keeping a work journal.
What: You can journal in many different ways. Unless you write faster than you type (unlikely), an electronic journal is the best option.Start a journal entry in a draft Outlook email and update it throughout the day.
Where: Keep your journal on your main computer. If you can use a program that syncs across all of your devices so that you can make notes wherever you are.
When: I would reccommend updating the journal with one-sentence summaries as things happen throughout the day. If you finish something on an on-going project, make a project update. If you get a weird phone call or hear something important at the water-cooler that you want to follow up on later, make a note of it right when it happens. Paste the journal into a word document at the end of the day.
Why: I wanted to start a work journal that would help me focus at work, plan for the future, while encouraging personal and professional growth. What I found out is — it drastically reduced my stress levels because there weren’t as many stray thoughts bouncing around my head all day.
How: This is the big question. I wanted something that would blend both work and personal well-being. In other words, I wanted something that logged work projects and also helped me track professional goals and progress. Customize your journal to what works best for you! Here are some questions to consider:
General Notes:
- This person called
- This person emailed
- Remember to do this tomorrow
To-DoList for Tomorrow:
- To-Do
- To-Do
- To-Do
Projects:
Major Work Project #1:
- Called this person
- Had this meeting
- Decided this
Major Work Project #2:
- Called this person
- Had this meeting
- Decided this
What progress did I make today on this year’s goals?
Yearly Goal #1
- Learned this
- Did this
Yearly Goal #2
- Nothing for today
Envision the future, Goals for Next Year:
Awesome future goal I thought I might want to do someday
What supported me and motivated my work today? How can I sustain them tomorrow?
Daily Negative (Vent):
- ______ is frustrating.
Daily Positive (Collect Compliments):
- ______was nice.
Good luck on your starting your own work journal! Stick with it and you won’t be disappointed.
Article publié pour la première fois le 04/10/2013
