Hey Reader

One of the not so fun parts of "time off" is coming back to all of the tasks that didn't get done while you were away plus all of the ones that accumulated over that time too 😝

In this case, my sickness-caused "time off" in January has left me with a fair bit to do this month.

While I have let go of some of the items, what remains is still quite a hefty task list.

Sometimes a long task list can be motivating. I enjoy feeling like there's a lot of choice in what can be tackled, and getting to check off a bunch of items as I go through is satisfying.

Other times though, it's massively demotivating. It all feels like too much and, despite my efforts, I get to the end of the day or week feeling like "what did I even accomplish?"

That was very much me last week 😅 And the feeling is one I tend towards quite often.

When you've got a lot going on, it can be easy to pay more attention to what you haven't done, or what is still left to do.

Last week I:

• Didn't clear my email inbox
• Was supposed to make journal layouts for an upcoming video
• Should have done a livestream

These "I didn't", "I was supposed to", and "I should have" statements can lead to a bunch of negative feelings. One of the major ones being lower self-efficacy (the belief that you can do things).

Given that this is a pattern of thinking I'm trying to move away from, what can I use in my planner to help me? 🤔

The idea - Keep a wins log

If you find yourself feeling like you're not making progress, consider keeping a wins log in your journal.

Put simply, this is just a space to record the things you've been able to do and accomplish.

It's a nice positive space in your journal that can help you focus more on what has happened rather than what hasn't.

The version I have in my journals is in my goals planner.

The layout is super simple. It has a title that says "2025 milestones" and I write out a bulleted list of things that I've been able to accomplish or little milestones I've hit as I work on my goals, capping it off with the accomplishment date in brackets.

While mine focuses more on goals, we can also do a similar thing for day-to-day tasks too.

If you're like me and often get to the end of any day, week, or month feeling like you've accomplished nothing because your task list is still 20 feet long, then making a wins log for that timeframe can help.

The wins log could end up being a small space on your weekly layout to record your progress, or a practice that you do at the end of the day to highlight your 1-3 biggest accomplishments.

Any time you're feeling down about not getting things done, or demotivated thinking you just can't do things, scan your eyes over your wins log entries to see your record of achievement.

The wins we're recording on here don't have to be massive.

Even small achievements and instances of progress can highlight that we definitely have done things and can do things.

That's not to say bigger wins can't feature though!

Considering my last week, rather than focusing on all I didn't get done, my wins log would read something like:

• Planned the next 4 podcast topics with Mark
• Secured a venue for our wedding
• Designed and sent out our "Save the date" invites
• Prepped some really tasty Cherry Breakfast Bars for this week

Sure, they're not necessarily what I set as my specific intentions for the week, but they're still things I got done which highlight that I can do things.

The wins log idea actually came from an email team member; I love when you share your ideas with me!

If you've got an idea that you think would be great to talk about in a future newsletter, let me know by hitting the button below 🥳

Let's take action

To help combat the feeling of not making progress, or demotivation from having too much to do, consider adding a wins log into your journal or planner.

It can start as simple as a sticky note on the inside of your planner with a couple of points jotted down, or you can make a dedicated layout to hold some of the bigger accomplishments you've had.

What would be on your wins log from the past day, week, or month? 💜

Until next time!

- Jess

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