How did you spend your day today? No, seriously. What did you do? Were you productive with your time? Did you encourage someone? Did you perform at an optimum level? Understand that these are not universal questions. But they are some things to think about. The reason being because we go through so many days during our lives that we get to the end and we think, "Wow, today just really flew by. What all did I do again?"
On its face, that does not always seem like such a bad thing. I, for one, have had plenty of days that I just wanted to end and to forget forever. But if you're working to live a better life and to use the days God has given you to the fullest, it is important to be responsible with how you spend those days.
Evaluating your day does not have to be some huge ordeal. It can be broken up into sections or focus areas to make it more manageable. For example, at the end of my work day during my walk to the car and my commute home, I like to look back on the day. I want to know how I spent my time, if I spent it responsibly, and if I achieved everything that I needed to get done for the day. This helps to keep me accountable to myself and, quite honestly, is pretty fun after a good day's work.
My wife and I do the same thing in the evenings. A constant topic of conversation for us is how our days have gone, what we need to do over the next few days, and how much fun we have been having. It is not a formal "evaluation" but the implications are the same. We know what we did, what we liked/didn't like, and what we need to do differently tomorrow.
My challenge to you is to take some time at the end of your day and see how you did. Focus specifically on the areas of goal advancement, time management, and personal engagement. These three are important because each one says so much about you as a unique individual.
Think about what you did to accomplish your goals. Did you work towards earning that promotion? Did you accomplish your daily tasks?
In accordance with your goals, think about how you managed your time. Was the majority of your day spent on mindless tasks like watching TV or browsing the internet? Were you doing something productive for yourself? Did you manage your employer's time wisely?
I also believe that it's incredibly important to personally engage others every day. Encourage someone. Tell a co-worker that they're doing a good job. Investing in others means investing in yourself as well. Not to mention, it is much easier to be motivated when the task is others-focused vs. self-focused. You can talk yourself out of personal benefits. But it is much harder to do that when you're working for someone else.
Keep in mind that these are not hard and fast rules. These questions are just what has worked for me in the past. Evaluating your day keeps you accountable and allows time to re-live the good times and fix those you would prefer to forget. Enjoy life as a whole and the days will follow in-line.
Stay classy,
Andrew
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