Why You Need to Track Every Accomplishment

Among all of the productivity strategies I use, this strategy is the most satisfying in the big picture sense. I have been tracking my own accomplishments since 2007, when I graduated college, and the results have been eye-opening.

Photo Credit: Jeff Sanders

I believe everyone (including you) should be tracking every accomplishment, personal and professional, big and small, massively influential and seemingly inconsequential.

And yes, this picture above is me celebrating one of my successes. I may have been dancing at someone else’s wedding, but I’ll make any excuse I can to let go of my daily demands and just let loose.

Why You Need to Track Every Accomplishment

Tracking my own accomplishments has been extremely beneficial on many levels. As we begin the new year this is the best time to begin tracking your own successes. Here’s why:

1. It’s Too Easy to Focus on the Negatives

When you think back on the last year of your life, it’s easy to remember what went wrong, what didn’t happen, or what could have been. Acknowledging where you excelled is a great reminder that your life is awesome.

Seriously, say that out loud, “My life is awesome!“

Okay, I know you didn’t do it because no one ever does. But, just take a moment and recognize that life is more than the disappointments. Awesome things happen every day. Just look for them, you’ll see.

For my wife’s 28th birthday I stole a great idea from Darren Hardy and made a list called “28 Reasons Why I Love My Wife.” I spent a few weeks compiling the list based on daily interactions, conversations, and subtle things she did for me, for herself, and for others.

When I finally delivered the list to her on her birthday, she was floored. Well, I like to think so. She did cry and say that it was the most thoughtful gift I had ever given her.

(She still carries this list with her in her purse every day.)

This list was better than flowers, better than dinner and a movie, and even better than a new puppy. Why? Because I acknowledged her. I conveyed how much she mattered and why her life is awesome.

You can do that same thing for yourself. Just make a list.

2. Past Behavior Predicts Future Behavior

One of the best ways to know how your new year will go is to look at last year. Odds are that you will repeat last year . . . unless you make some serious changes.

Looking at your past accomplishments can act as a great motivator to continue kicking butt well into the next quarter, and even throughout the year.

If you want to make your next year better than your last, this is a great time to plan your projects based on what you want to see on your past accomplishments for this year.

Which projects mean so much to you that you would regret not doing them?

Which goals would radically change your life more than any other?

One of the best things about my own list of accomplishments is that I can see my past plans coming to life. I can visually see where I followed through and completed projects I was excited about.

I can also see that I accomplished more in one year than I thought was possible for myself. That’s seriously empowering.

I publish most of my past accomplishments in my “Bold Action” section of my About Page. Check it out if you’re curious about what I track, at least in terms of my business.

3. All Big Goals Need a Basis for Comparison

As you set your goals for the new year, you will also need a tracker to see how well you’re progressing. For example, it’s one thing to plan to train for a marathon by May, but have you actually been training?

If you tracked your running accomplishments throughout the year you would be able to immediately see how much progress you’re making and whether or not you should be kicking things up a notch or two.

The slippery slope here is that the list of accomplishments is NOT meant to conjure up feelings of guilt or disappointment. The whole reason this list is effective is that it acknowledges where you have excelled, succeeded, and made huge progress.

Keep the focus on the positive and use the momentum from your past accomplishments to keep you on track to achieving even grander goals in the future.

Get Started Today with a Simple List

I was going to offer a free download of the template I use, until I realized how simple it was. So, here’s how you can create your own list, super fast.

1. Create a new note in your notebook, a new Doc in Google Drive, or use your favorite word-processing cloud service
2. Title the new note: “2015 Accomplishments”
3. Start a list and write down your first accomplishment for the new year
4. Create a weekly reminder in your task manager (I recommend Nozbe) to update your list with all of your new accomplishments
5. Whenever you’re feeling unproductive, lazy, sad, or you’re just down on yourself, review this list and smile! You’re making more progress than you think!

What Was Your Greatest Accomplishment of 2014?

What did you do that surprised you?

What big goal did you finally achieve?

What major progress did you make on a long-term goal?

What healthy habits have you solidified?

What have you been dying to share with the world?

Next Week

Next week on the blog I will be sharing my recent decision to cut my cable TV subscription. I’ll talk about how this one decision is causing an amazingly productive ripple effect in many areas of my life.