Journaling – what image comes to mind?

Someone writing in their home? On the beach? In a park? In an office?

Your first thought probably isn’t an office setting but the benefits of journaling can be found not only in personal development but also in professional development. There is a strong trend of entrepreneurs keeping a journal. But why?

Career journaling keeps you in check. Use your career journal to prepare yourself for where you want to be professionally. You need to start with a goal, right? And nothing holds you more accountable than when you write it down. Are you working to your fullest potential? If not, what steps do you need to take in order to do so? Maybe you're right where you want to be professional. Use a career journal to note ideas or quotes that inspire you. Writing these types of items down may fuel your thinking process or a place to rework ideas and reapply an understanding of concepts.

Not sure what type of career journal you want? Start with the following exercises to motivate what could be the secret ingredient for your career.

1. Take a look at your job description. Is it accurate? Most likely, you’re taking on work outside of the description. Note what those are and why you do them. Are you able to add them to your job description? Are they valuable to your company? Making a case for your extra tasks makes a case for if your job is valuing you.

2. No need to wait for the official work evaluation. The responsibility of an evaluation shouldn’t fall solely on the boss (even if you are the boss). You may have a boss or peers that are able to give constructive feedback. Either way, evaluate yourself. Ask yourself and make notes about a current project. Was it successful? What worked or needs work? What lessons did you learn? When evaluating – never focus on blame but rather efficiency. The purpose is for professional development after all. Would a different team have been better? Were tasks delegated accordingly?

3. Acknowledge compliments. No, this exercise isn’t intended to inflate your ego but to understand what steps you take to go above and beyond in your job. Write down some examples and what the motives behind the examples were. Why did you do it? What drives you in your career? To maintain a fulfilling career, you need motivation. Continuing exercises like this one will help determine if your career is satisfying rather than just a way to pay the bills.

4. Where do you see yourself? It’s a question we’re asked and that we think about in different phases of life. It’s interesting to think of your current job title as just your current position. It defines you in the now. Are you in a place that you want to keep climbing or are you content? With no wrong answer, everyone seeks different career ambitions based on other ambitions like family, travel, etc. Wherever you see yourself it has to be important to you. Is work what matters most? Consider the sacrifices of a coveted position. Are you after the title or is it something you really want to do? Your motivations give you the awareness you need.

5. If you decide a career change is right for you, then lay out the steps how you might get there? What skills will you need?

You may already do some of these exercises mentally but the focus and creativity that comes from writing anything to everything career-related may be the missing key ingredient to your success. Are you ordering a journal today?

About the Author

World Love Books invites you to be apart of conscious living and how in consciousness we can transform and go forward in our human form. This is a place to go deeper into your spiritual self and to become more aware of how you can change your corner of the world. Learn More.

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