On Sunday, I finished up my first complete Best Self journal. The journal asks you to set three goals, then gives you tasks–including a space for daily accountability–as you endeavor to meet those goals over 13 weeks.
My wife gave me one of the journals for my birthday in 2018, but after three weeks, I stopped using it each day then lost the journal so there was no way for me to follow through on it. I came back to the idea of this journal at the end of January after starting the year being very intentional about praying and considering what I thought I wanted to accomplish this year. I knew the journal would be a great way to keep myself accountable, so I purchased a new one.
It was worth it.
Here was what my one of my goal sheets looked like.
Then I filled out weekly planning sheet that helped me think about what I wanted to accomplish.
Finally, I had two sheets per day to record how I used my time, what I wanted to accomplish, what I was grateful for, and what I had learned.
As my thirteen weeks came to an end, I reflected on what I had learned.
- Location > Work. At my best I was intentional about the spaces where I did work on certain tasks. At my worst, I was undisciplined and muddied up productive spaces by falling down youtube rabbit holes. I’ve got to be intentional about where and how I do my work. Best discovery: I’ve got my grading spot in the university library.
- Good work > Profit. One of my goals was to make a certain amount of money. It was the wrong goal. I tried to rationalize my motives: I wanted to make sure I was figuring out how to do work that others would value enough to pay for it. However, what I discovered is that if I made money my objective, I compromised my time and effort in a whole bunch of ways that ended up making sure I didn’t make money and I was serving myself more than others. Making money can be the product of service and value, but if I make it the goal, I won’t Best discovery: if I make producing good work for a specific audience my goal, I’ll get more done then if I make profit the premise for doing my work.
- Notes > Memory. I read a lot, and I have a good memory, but I won’t remember anything from a book I’ve read in a month if I don’t write something down. Discovery: What I’ve read won’t stick unless I write for five minutes after I read.
- What I have > What I think I need. God hammered home this lesson for me multiple times during these past three months. I always think another book or another tactic or another contact or another opportunity when really the best books, tactics, contacts, and opportunities are ones God’s already granted me. God let me see again and again how blessed I am.
I didn’t accomplish my goals, but I did accomplish the goal of completing the journey. I’ve started my second 13 week quest, and I can’t wait to see what I’m able to accomplish with God’s help.