How to Develop Professionally With This One Tool

Full-time employees spend hundreds and hundreds of hours at work each year. Understandably, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of the day-to-day and see whether you are reaching your long-term goals, or figuring out how a crisis began or developed.

Let’s say you kept running into the same problem that held up your productivity. Or during a busy time of the year, you were struggling to remember things to write down for your yearly self-evaluation, even though you know you have a lot to say.

Your workplace may provide a system for tracking billable hours or shifts—but do they record your milestones or special achievements? That responsibility is ultimately up to you. Fortunately, there is an easy way to monitor and work on your personal and professional growth.

A work journal is an inexpensive, helpful tool for professional and personal growth. Getting started is easy: just buy a cheap spiral-bound notebook reminiscent of your school days, or get a fancy, leather-bound journal if you have an appreciation for fine stationery.

The next part is a little harder. Some of you might say you don’t have enough time, but with continued diligence, you can turn journaling into a habit. Set up a personal appointment (five to 15 minutes) for your journal once a day or week.

You can jot down a variety of ideas and memories, and turn your ordinary diary into a:

• Self-motivator, a recording of aspirations and milestones
• Repository of information, such as a mentor’s advice or random ideas to pitch to colleagues or management in the future
• Self-improvement tool, for recalling mistakes that were made and how problems got resolved
• Reference to be used for annual self-evaluations and supervisor feedback (people often forget about past situations when it’s time to fill out these assessments)
• Safe, confidential place to vent—and a way to help you gain insight into your feelings and reactions to certain situations

Over time, your work journal will prove its worth. As Hollywood legend Mae West once said, “Keep a diary, and someday it'll keep you.”

--Joanna Kim

Joanna Kim is a Writer/Content Strategist for HRI, and has kept a work journal for years.