Productivity and joy go hand-in-hand. Productivity does not mean spending every moment of your day accomplishing something. That is not sustainable and will leave you exhausted and empty. This is something I have to monitor within myself as moderation has never been my strong suit. However, as much as productivity is about accomplishing, it is also about efficiency, leading to more free time, not less. Healthy amounts of productivity each day reduces stress, increases self-worth, purpose, free time, self-awareness, mindfulness. And all of these things result in greater joy. Likewise, studies have shown that happiness boosts productivity. The two form a symbiotic relationship, boosting one another.
So what are daily summaries and how can they boost your joy and productivity?
My life is run through notebooks. By which I mean, I carry seven notebooks with my almost all the time and have several more on my shelves that I use less frequently. (Each journal has its own subject.) And while this is a sort of madness I don’t suggest for most others, it works for me. It makes sense for me. I run multiple blogs in addition to my full-time job writing and editing. And I thrive on checklists. While I don’t recommend carrying seven notebooks around like me, I do want to take about my productivity journal, and specifically a practice that everyone can benefit from: daily summaries.
My daily summary begins with a bullet list of everything I accomplished that day. No matter how small, and unlike my bullet journal, it doesn’t matter if I completed an activity, as long as I make some small progress. Washed a single dish? It goes on the list.
After I have bullet listed every accomplishment I can think of, I’ll journal about the day – what went well, what didn’t. and what changes I can try to make things go better in the future. After that, I set my intentions for the following day.
Why Daily Summaries?
This practice has been a game changer for me. It’s forgiving in a way my bullet journal isn’t. It’s about celebrating every victory, no matter how small. It’s about reviewing my day to see what’s working and what isn’t. It’s about keeping an eye one my goals at all times, acknowledging every step I take towards them, and it’s about setting myself up for success.
This practice only takes ten minutes a day. Regardless of how busy you are, you can make time for daily summaries, and completing these can yield significant results. Personally, I complete this task in bed right before I go to sleep. This provides me an ideal opportunity to complete my summary and has the added benefit of making it the last thing I think about before I go to sleep, allowing me to further reflect and process my day.
So pick out a notebook. Set it somewhere you will see at the right time, such as on your bedside table, and start integrating this practice into your daily life. Let me know the changes it makes for you!
