Achievements

In December 1988 my then employer sent me on a three day course called 'Essential Management Skills'. It was as inspiring as yesterday's cold mashed potato that is apart from one brief session on time management. In those days this was quite a new subject to the UK business world and I was hooked.

The tutor told us to list everything we needed to do the next day then pick ten items and prioritise them one to ten. I started making this my last task every day. It was great to come in the next morning with a work plan.

One day some months later I was at coffee break when the chief came and sat on my table. He liked to do this because he was a pebble thrower. This is someone who throws something into the conversation then stands back to watch the ripples and gain information.

He glanced down at my notepad which contained that day's To Do List. "What's that" he asked. Feeling very virtuous I explained what I had learned on the course and how I used this time management technique every day.

"That's fine" he said, "but have you considered sitting down at the end of the day and making a list of what you've actually achieved?"

"Bastard" I thought and from that day stopped making my lists. He was a sarcastic individual who liked to be seen on top so the comment was truly barbed. Yet all these years later I still remember it and think there is much sense in what he said.

What can be better than making a list of what you've done, achieved, succeeded at? Some people even keep a success log. You might think you don't have much to put down but there will always be something even it it's just getting out of bed alive and well.

Yes you should plan your days and set your goals but spend some time enjoying your successes. You deserve it.

Hi Chris!

Your point is REALLY well taken. I use this in a couple ways with my Coaching Clients.

One is that I have them determine pretty early on what exactly makes up an Accomplishment Rich Day according to them.

We all have different scales for what feels the most productive. Its important to get clarity on that and then applaud your consistent performance in this area.

Another way is to actually start a Coaching Session with "Lets see what you have accomplished in the last week" and start brainstorming. Its really amazing seeing this list of tasks completed when you thought you hadn't done ANYTHING!

And then a THIRD technique is to review your week by asking: "What is my most extraordinary accomplishment of the past week?" followed up with, "What is the most extraordinary accomplishment I am aiming to produce in this next week?"

It is amazing how keeping yourself aware of the possibilities and proactively creating them AND applauding them can change your life.

Thank you, Chris, for bringing this up.

And yesterday's mashed potatoes are NEVER very exciting, are they?

With Passion and Purpose,

Julie Jordan Scott




What are Your Outrageous, Audacious, Passion Filled Goals?

Chris:

I have a question for you at the end...

> The tutor told us to list everything we
> needed to do the next day then pick ten
> items and prioritise them one to ten. I
> started making this my last task every day.
> It was great to come in the next morning
> with a work plan.

And, of course, it means you were accomplishing the most important things.

> "That's fine" he said, "but
> have you considered sitting down at the end
> of the day and making a list of what you've
> actually achieved?"

> "Bastard" I thought and from that
> day stopped making my lists.

WHY?

> What can be better than making a list of
> what you've done, achieved, succeeded at?
> Some people even keep a success log. You
> might think you don't have much to put down
> but there will always be something even it
> it's just getting out of bed alive and well.

> Yes you should plan your days and set your
> goals but spend some time enjoying your
> successes. You deserve it.

You stopped making your To-Do lists and instead started making What-I-Have-Done lists, right?

So now, instead of actually accomplishing the most important things as you had been doing, you spent time looking back on minor things as if they were big and important in a kind of "look what I have done" bragging to yourself way.

Is that how it went?

That's all fine and well... if you want to make yourself feel good. Thought I fail to see how that actually helps you achieve more. Specially since you no longer take the time to figure out what the most important tasks are and do them.

I can see how doing both could help.

I'm a little confused about what you actually do now. Do you now make your Important To Do list as well as your What I Have Done list? Or do you just wing it during the day and only look back at what you have achieved?

Michael Ross


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Hi Michael

I can see why you might be confused.

Initially after that conversation I stopped making my To Do Lists but no I didn’t start an achievement list either. The person who made comment was the head guy and good at what he did but he did (may be still does) thrive on belittling people. So yes it made me feel like “stuff you” at the time.

These days I still make To Do Lists because psychologically it is good to tick jobs off as done and if you tick them all off you end up with a de facto achievement list. I also find it easier than letting things hang around in my head which can be a strain if you try to remember everything. Although I haven’t done it in a while for a two year period I kept a log (not a diary) which I wrote in when I felt the need. It too was a great way to download and include achievements.

I cannot for the life of me see how an achievement list is “bragging” if only the author sees it. To me it’s a bit like a spur to better things. If you say “I’ve had a bad day” do you think you will feel any better about it? The subconscious works on instructions so if you tell it you’ve had a bad day it will concentrate that feeling. An achievement list is telling it you’ve had a pretty good day. Now would you rather promote a good or a bad day?

Chris

> Chris:

> I have a question for you at the end...

> And, of course, it means you were
> accomplishing the most important things.

> WHY?

> You stopped making your To-Do lists and
> instead started making What-I-Have-Done
> lists, right?

> So now, instead of actually accomplishing
> the most important things as you had been
> doing, you spent time looking back on minor
> things as if they were big and important in
> a kind of "look what I have done"
> bragging to yourself way.

> Is that how it went?

> That's all fine and well... if you want to
> make yourself feel good. Thought I fail to
> see how that actually helps you achieve
> more. Specially since you no longer take the
> time to figure out what the most important
> tasks are and do them.

> I can see how doing both could help.

> I'm a little confused about what you
> actually do now. Do you now make your
> Important To Do list as well as your What I
> Have Done list? Or do you just wing it
> during the day and only look back at what
> you have achieved?

> Michael Ross

Hi Julie

Greetings from across the pond and thanks for that. Here's two things I do to get over bad days or worries.

1. Visualise the thing that is causing the worry. Then watch it shrink until it crumbles to dust and is blown away in the wind.

2. Say out loud three times "Forget it, it doesn't matter." You won't forget it immediately but the worry will fade and in a couple of hours everything will seem much better.

This one works every time for me. Recently I was driving home after a day when nothing much went right. As I drove I kept replaying the day and making it worse. Finally I said those words out loud. By the time I got home the day didn't matter a jot.

I once read a book called 'What to say when you talk to yourself" - perhaps it's still in print. It makes so much sense that if you tell your brain gloomy bad thoughts it will act on them. So why not tell it good thoughts?

Regards

Chris

> Hi Chris!

> Your point is REALLY well taken. I use this
> in a couple ways with my Coaching Clients.

> One is that I have them determine pretty
> early on what exactly makes up an
> Accomplishment Rich Day according to them.

> We all have different scales for what feels
> the most productive. Its important to get
> clarity on that and then applaud your
> consistent performance in this area.

> Another way is to actually start a Coaching
> Session with "Lets see what you have
> accomplished in the last week" and
> start brainstorming. Its really amazing
> seeing this list of tasks completed when you
> thought you hadn't done ANYTHING!

> And then a THIRD technique is to review your
> week by asking: "What is my most
> extraordinary accomplishment of the past
> week?" followed up with, "What is
> the most extraordinary accomplishment I am
> aiming to produce in this next week?"

> It is amazing how keeping yourself aware of
> the possibilities and proactively creating
> them AND applauding them can change your
> life.

> Thank you, Chris, for bringing this up.

> And yesterday's mashed potatoes are NEVER
> very exciting, are they?

> With Passion and Purpose,

> Julie Jordan Scott

Hi Chris,

I also keep a to do list ... it's the only way I can effectively get done all the little and big things that need doing.

Also about once a week I find a quiet spot and acknowledge my progress. You see we often forget our successes, we often forget just how far we have come.

We get caught up in all our day to day activities and we focus on the future, we focus on what we have yet attained.

Acknowledging my achievements gives me the strength to tackle new projects, it also reminds me just how far I've come over the last few years.

All the best.

Pete Godfrey

>

In December 1988 my then employer sent me on
> a three day course called 'Essential
> Management Skills'. It was as inspiring as
> yesterday's cold mashed potato that is apart
> from one brief session on time management.
> In those days this was quite a new subject
> to the UK business world and I was hooked.

> The tutor told us to list everything we
> needed to do the next day then pick ten
> items and prioritise them one to ten. I
> started making this my last task every day.
> It was great to come in the next morning
> with a work plan.

> One day some months later I was at coffee
> break when the chief came and sat on my
> table. He liked to do this because he was a
> pebble thrower. This is someone who throws
> something into the conversation then stands
> back to watch the ripples and gain
> information.

> He glanced down at my notepad which
> contained that day's To Do List.
> "What's that" he asked. Feeling
> very virtuous I explained what I had learned
> on the course and how I used this time
> management technique every day.

> "That's fine" he said, "but
> have you considered sitting down at the end
> of the day and making a list of what you've
> actually achieved?"

> "Bastard" I thought and from that
> day stopped making my lists. He was a
> sarcastic individual who liked to be seen on
> top so the comment was truly barbed. Yet all
> these years later I still remember it and
> think there is much sense in what he said.

> What can be better than making a list of
> what you've done, achieved, succeeded at?
> Some people even keep a success log. You
> might think you don't have much to put down
> but there will always be something even it
> it's just getting out of bed alive and well.

> Yes you should plan your days and set your
> goals but spend some time enjoying your
> successes. You deserve it.