Keep a Career Diary !
In the very fast paced time we seem to be living in, I wonder if any one keeps a Diary anymore ? We seem to be doing all our sharing immediately on “ Social “ networks rather than within us in a more reflective mode.
Yet, I think keeping a ” Career Diary ” only for yourself can help one in life as well as career. Here is how !
a) Venting
A Career DiaryBad day at work ? Boss snarled at you ?Juniors stinking you up ? Your journal can take your response to all this – and most importantly – SAFELY ! Write what you feel here, look over it after 1-2 days and then decide what your “official” response should be . You will turn up with a much more mature and well thought one.
BTW, long ago, in my first job one Sales Executive reporting to me came up with a long pending dealer problem. Calling up the dealer, I got an earful ! Since this issue was even before I came onto the scene, I was upset. Asked advise from my Boss who encouraged me to ” straightaway ” write a letter to some seniors at Head Office !
I did . And as it so happened, I left the Company shortly thereafter for “ greener pastures”.
About 15 years later , I met up with someone who was in the HO at the time my letter reached. He STILL remembered that letter ! I wonder what would have been my fate had I carried on with the Company !
Everyone makes mistakes. Or is upset on what they may feel is totally unreasonable. Venting in a private ” Career Diary ” allows you some “ breathing time “ before you let loose publicly. And is invariably better, IMHO.
2) Ideas
Ideas can come at any time and may not be implementable right away. A Career Diary can keep them till they can ripen. And seeing them later can lead you to some more ! One can nowadays keep ” Voice Memos ” in your phone itself ,but , to me, nothing is better that writing it down where I can see it over the days and refine it further, maybe even months later !
3) Learn what works and what doesn’t !
Of course mistakes are part of life. And in Office too they will invariably happen. A Career Diary allows you to reflect, understand, remember and learn from various such mistakes.
OTOH of course good days and events also happen. Recording such events, efforts and the joy you felt will make you cheerful even years later !
Not to mention the “raw data “ it can provide come time for reviewing your CV or the Performance Appraisal 🙂
And it is not only the “big wins” one should record. Indeed it is the “ small wins” which , looked back will keep you motivated towards the big ones !
4) Advice and Compliments !
Across time, you will gather both of them for sure. A journal is a great way for keeping those for when it is needed . And also remembering to touch up with those who provided such advise or compliments – Social Networking much more effective that any else I can think of 🙂
5) Plan and imagine the future
Keep track in your Journal what you are doing and what you want to be . Very soon you will see patterns of goals and actions emerging. And , some years later, you can see how far you have reached !
In short, a journal can keep you engaged, motivated, creative and happy. All that surely leads to a better Career !
So are you keeping a Journal ? Share your experience !
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