Journal! Who, me?

I have read, avoided reading, saved, and deleted countless articles on why and how to do regular personal journaling.


But, despite promises of more happiness, creativity, productivity, and becoming a better person, I could not get myself to try it.


The sources of my resistance: 

• The recommendation to do it every day - yikes! Except for brushing my teeth, not my strength.
• I already have writer's block (the evidence: 25 blog posts since 2011). Why would I want to have yet one more type of writing to avoid?
• Directives to use a particular format or write about particular topics. I don't like being told how to do things. I prefer bespoke productivity tools, even if I end up creating something that looks very much like a method I rejected.
• And of course, how would I find the time...

Then about a month ago, out out of the blue, I started to journal most days. I liked it.  I'm here to tell you how I am doing it so you can try it too.

Now that I'm doing it, I get it. The promised benefits are showing up.

Made up sample journal entry.

If you are interested, this the way I started :

(You can do this at any time of the day. I do find that morning works best for me.)

1. Find a piece of paper. Although for this idea you probably want to save the paper, so a bound notebook would be good. (Or a digital app - I use Evernote.)
2. Put the date at the top of the page. Maybe the time as well.
3. Write at least one sentence, about anything that comes to mind.
4. Stop or keep writing, whichever seems right at that moment.
5. Do it again later that day (on the same page) or tomorrow or whenever the fancy strikes (on a new page).

I intentionally did not include advice about what you should journal about. 

Instead, I use a "no topic rules" approach:  Whatever pops into my head gets recorded. If I stick with it for another minute or two, inevitably more ideas emerge.

These are the categories that often show up, and the "results" that I often get:

• Thoughts about a problem I am dealing with; sometimes solutions emerge.
• Ideas for something I am writing.
• The progress I am, or am not, making on a project or goal which usually is followed by ideas about how to move forward.
• Frustrations about the state of the world.
• Experiences for which I am grateful and things that are going well.
• A plan for dinner.

If you want to read more about journaling, try these:

• Julia Cameron's The Artists Way. Originally published in 1992, Cameron's method set the standard for personal journaling.

• Check out this 2020 review of "best" journal notebook options. This is not exhaustive but will give you an idea of the possibilities, as well as more references to the benefits of journaling.

• Anna Goldfarb's guide to beginning a journal.

Ann

Not getting anything important done? Try an MIT list.

The problem.

At the end of the day, do you sometimes find you did not work on any of your top priorities?  

This used to happen to me all the time until I started creating a daily Most Important Tasks (MIT) list.

People sometimes think that if they know what work is a high priority, they will automatically turn to those tasks first. 

And while that sometimes does happen, at least two realities can get in the way.

• Our memory is not good at remembering or prioritizing tasks.
• The combination of routine work and new urgent work can easily soak up all our available time. 

We can overcome these realities by choosing our priority tasks in advance, writing them down, and then aggressively "shoehorning" them among those other tasks.

The MIT list.

A Most Important Task (MIT) list is a place to record your top priority tasks for the day.

To implement: 

1. Find a piece of paper.
2. Pick your 3 highest priority tasks for the day and list them in priority order
3. Get to these tasks as early in the day as possible, in order to minimize the risk of running out of time.  Aim to complete or start the first MIT before you do any other work.
4. Keep the list where you can check it frequently.
5. Check the list one final time before you stop work for the day, and see if you can finish items that remain.

You now have the information you need to get started.  If you still have questions, keep reading!

The most frequently asked question: 

Since this method can not create more time, how will I get these "extra" things done on top of all my other work?

Good question!

While it is true that creating this list does not create more time, it can lead to better use of the time you already have.  

• Work often expands to fill the time allotted. The corollary is also true: the time needed to do some work "contracts" if less is available.  If you do your MIT's first, you may find you can fit much of your other work into less time. 
• Some routine work, as well as some new tasks masquerading as "urgent," can be safely postponed to the next day.    
• Finishing an MIT can increase your energy, helping you power through the rest of the day.

"Operational" FAQs

Why "3?"

The number 3 is an arbitrary choice, but one that fits the rule that an MIT list should contain only high priority tasks and be short enough to complete.

Here's why. A long daily list will inevitably have a mix of high and low priority items, and two things can happen: 

1. First, you will probably not complete the list, which can lead to a feeling of failure. 
2. Second, a long list usually has several enticing easy items of low priority that can be completed quickly.  Personally, I am attracted to these tasks!   But at the end of the day, I am left feeling discouraged that I did nothing important.

To summarize, by imposing the constraint of picking only 3 tasks I am more likely to choose high priority ones.   ("Hmm... should I refile my stapler or file my tax return?")

OK. But can I choose a different number if I want?

Less than 3?  Absolutely. In fact, choosing just one may be a good way for you to get started with the method. You can also pick a smaller number any time you have a highly scheduled day. 

More than 3?  Yes, but only if you promise you will prioritize the list and stick to the order!

Even better, draw a line under the top three MIT's and below that line add the additional tasks to do if you have time

Some criteria to help you pick your MIT's

• An externally imposed deadline is today.
• You made a promise it would be done today.
• The task will move high priority work forward.
• You have been putting off a task, and this is causing stress.

Do I have to use a piece of paper?

No!   You can use any "recording" tool you like.

Digital: The note app on your phone; a "sticky note" app on your computer;  the "Today" view in a list manager app (e.g. iPhone Reminders, Microsoft To Do),

 

Paper:  An index card; a Post-It(TM); a Bullet Journal.

I once had a client (really!) who wrote her list on her hand.... 👍

Send me comments or questions at Susan@susanrjohnson.com.  

Feeling Unproductive? Try a Done List.

At the end of a busy day, do you sometimes have the feeling that you accomplished nothing useful? 

But usually, barring an all-day Netflix binge, you most likely did. 

You just can't remember. 

Failure to remember is due in part by the Zeigarnik effect, named for the finding in 1927 by Bluma Zeigarik that uncompleted tasks are more easily remembered than completed ones. 

Not remembering can have negative consequences.

Instead of being more motivated to "do better" the next day, you may actually feel demotivated.  It turns out we are usually more motivated by success than failure. 

A better approach is to look at your day in a balanced way.   What did you accomplish? Did you fail to complete one or more tasks you had planned? What could you do to make tomorrow better? 

I use a simple technique that provides data for that balanced look:  the "done list."

The method is simple: I designate a spot (usually a random piece of paper) as the Done List for the day.

When I complete a task or a planned session of work, I add it to the list.   Do this in real-time, because you won't remember at the end of the day!

That's it.

You can make this list in whatever "tool" you like - but I recommend starting with a piece of paper.  

You can save the list or not.  I don't.

You can do this every day, or not.  I'm an intermittent user.

If you will be an intermittent user:  

A Done List is especially helpful on a day with largish blocks of unscheduled time.   

This is how it helps me with those days.   

Without a Done List, I often find myself getting off track. or spending too much time on one task.

As I record completed work, I feel motivated to do even more. This comports with Newton's Law, "a body in motion stays in motion."  ("Comports" is a fun word I rarely get to use....)

I sometimes do one more thing: highlight the good things.

At the end of the workday, I review the list and highlight (yellow, for me) completions I am happy about.  [This is a photo of an actual list from a few years ago. You can see that neatness is not necessary for the list to work!]

"Happy," otherwise undefined, is my guideline.  I go with my gut.   

Here are some ideas to get you started on your own definition of "good:" completed tasks you had planned for that day, that moved a project forward or allowed you to meet a deadline, or that were overdue. 

How to get started:

1. Find a piece of paper. 
2. When you complete something, add it to the list.
3. At the end of the day, read through the list.
4. If you want, highlight the "good things." 
5. Take a moment to feel your successes.

Do it again another day!