How to accomplish more through the use of a personal achievement list
Too often managers modestly, and often unjustly or even unwittingly, hide their successes from others - and indeed from themselves. They fail to understand that the simple strategy of recording personal successes can motivate, increase self-productivity, and support career advancement. The compilation of a personal achievement list can have a considerable effect on a manager's professional life...
1. Acknowledge your achievements to date.
Most managers see themselves as 'modest achievers'. They're so accustomed to doing what they do and what is expected of them that they rarely, if ever, class any of their accomplishments as 'achievements'. Indeed, when people are impressed with something they've done - something that perhaps seems rather ordinary to them - they're surprised.
As a manager, you can use your past achievements more positively to motivate you to greater heights. To shrug off those achievements modestly, as most professionals are prone to do, or to forget about them, will just make adding further successes to your repertoire harder. Acknowledge your achievements. With a little planning and persistence, you'll be able to build on them and motivate yourself to strive towards greater successes.
2. Appreciate how achievement-motivated you really are.
If you are achievement-motivated, you'll be able to answer these questions positively…
- Do you want to accomplish something significant?
- Do you like to set your own goals?
- Do you like doing your own thing, rather than being told what to do?
- Are you self-motivated?
- Do you prefer to select moderate, practical, achievable goals for yourself?
- Do you like immediate feedback on how you are progressing towards your goals?
- Do you want full responsibility for attaining your goals?
If you are very low in, or completely bereft of, achievement motivation, you may find your work and your life empty of vitality and vigour.
3. Start a Personal Achievement List.
You'll be surprised how much you achieve as a manager in a year. Systematically listing your achieve-ments is the only way to keep track. So keep a list of your successes in chronological order, month by month, over a year - initiatives, milestones, articles, talks, interviews, books read, awards, and similar things signifying that you've accomplished something.
