There is an app in which, at the end of each day, it sends you an email for you to list what you have done instead of what you haven't, to reassure you that there is progress being made even when it seems like it's not. Kind of like goal setting in reverse.
So at the end of today, make a list of what you have done. It may look like this:
- Got up
- Got dressed
- Got to class on time
- Took good notes
- Checked your goals for the day or month
- Cared about a friend
- Ate decent food
- Went to tutoring, or to study group
- Learned something
- Made sure a bill got paid on time
- Took out some trash
- Read a book
- Studied, and studied well
- Started a project
- Finished a project
- Tweaked a project to make it better
See? It's not hard to find what you've done with your time today, and it hasn't been completely wasted. In fact, maybe listing your day's activities will help you be more accountable to yourself.
If your day's review looks like this, then changes need to happen tomorrow:
- Played video games
- Texted with friend(s)
- Had 2 cookies and a glass of flat soda for lunch
- Texted some more
- Forgot to wear socks. Got frostbite on toes.
- Listened to music. Fell asleep between classes. Missed class.
- Texted some more
- Forgot where you parked your car
- Found car, went home, played video games, texted
And how about if you go back a few more days or a week?
- Returned library books on time
- Took a walk
- Cleaned something
- Called about a job or an internship
- Filled out your FAFSA
- Got your papers sorted so you could find things easier
- Learned something
- Made folders for all your important papers
- Read a book
- Remembered something
- Helped someone with something
Or in the last month or two?
Filled out a scholarship application, and sent it in
- Studied for a test
- Got a decent grade on a test
- Did some research for a class
- Wrote a paper and turned it in on time
- Helped someone with his/her homework
- Read a book
- Was a good coworker
- Avoided a car accident
- Asked for help when you got stuck
- Learned something
- "Forgot" about Facebook for a couple of hours
- Created something just for the fun of it
- Made a goal and set a date for it
- Took two steps towards your goal...or more
Of course, in order to achieve things, you have to have goals so you can 'check them off your list.'
What did you do...In the last year? Two years? Think about where you were then compared to where you are now. You can list things that went wrong and what you learned from them-all of them are steps you've finished. You are doing fine, just remember to keep working at your goals and you're going to get there. You'll see if you look back that you've actually accomplished a lot. It was just a step at a time and it didn't seem like you were going anywhere....
But you were.
