Saturday, April 2, 2011

What Have You Finished Today?


"What'd you get done today?" That's the question a new web-based service asks each night via email. Appropriately named, "iDoneThis," the purpose of the tool is to keep a record of your daily accomplishments. As a result, users should feel motivated to build on yesterday's successes and do even better today.

Last night, I received my first email. For what seemed like eternity, I just sat there looking at the request. "What have I completed today?" I silently asked myself.

In response, I had very little to report. I mean, I went to work, read some RSS feeds, attended a few meetings, and then came home. What exactly have I accomplished in the past 24 hours?

The realization that I spent so much time being busy, but achieving so little didn't sit right with me. How is it that I have gone so long without asking this of myself?

At work, I ask my team this question on a daily basis. According to SCRUM, we ask, "What did you do yesterday? What will you finish today? What are your impediments?" Based upon their response, my job is to celebrate their successes, encourage them to achieve their objectives, and remove any obstacles. However, I'm not doing that in my personal life. Well, not until recently. Here, let me explain...

The other day, I asked a question on Facebook about what people liked most about the blog. To help aid responders, I added blog categories as potential options. To my surprise, the most popular response was "Personal Reflections."

All this time, I thought that people were most interested in posts on technology, movies, or blogging, but, as I learned in this inquiry, many readers actually like knowing my thoughts. How cool is that?

Because of my assumption, I chose to limit the number personal reflections in order to produce movie reviews, blogging tips, and how-to articles. As a result, I haven't asked myself many questions about personal accomplishments or achievements. Without reflection, how does one get better?

Starting with my recent articles on the dissertation, you can now expect to see more posts where I chew on the day's events, introduce ideas, and explore my own head space.

This revelation is exciting to me because it reminds me of my Labyrinth days. While sometimes too personal, I found that I really enjoyed sharing my thoughts publically. Come to think of it, I really enjoyed writing then, too.

With that written, let me thank all those who took the time to vote on my Facebook Question. If you haven't had the opportunity to respond, please follow this link and do it now. Also, let me thank iDoneThis for asking the question and prompting this article. Finally, a big THANK YOU to all my family, friends, and loyal readers for your on-going support. It really means a lot to me.

Until next time...

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Damond L. Nollan, M.B.A.

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