I have learned an incredible amount from this forum so I decided it is time to at least try to give back. One thing you should be doing is keeping a daily journal where you write down what you did that day and grade the day from 1-10 in the sense of how well you used it.Keeping a daily Journal has provided me with value and I am sure it will provide you with some as well. Here is why--
1. It gives a sense of accountability. Spending a day playing video games or watching movies may seem like a good idea at the time but when you look back at a journal entry and all you see is "Played video games and jacked off", you start to reduce the time you spend in such activities (at least I do).
2. It gives you the hard, cold facts. Memory is hazy and quite often we remember what we choose to remember. Having a Journal keeps you grounded in reality and tells you what you actually did on a particular day rather than what you think you did.
3. It helps you achieve your goals. I write my goals for a particular time period above the day from when the time period begins. The goal can be anything, from finishing 3 units of pimsleur to being able to do 15 pistol squats. After a couple weeks or so of tracking down your progress in your journal, you start to get a broader perspective of how well you used your time in achieving your goals and how far you have progressed.
4. It helps improve your ability to articulate your thoughts and it improves your writing skills. As some in this forum have pointed out, writing on this forum gives the hidden benefit of improving your writing skills. The Journal does much the same and it can prove very useful in the long run.
There you have it, the Panda's tips on keeping a Journal. I might not have covered all the benefits and dimensions of keeping a Journal so you can feel free to add any tips you have in a comment. Hope this helped.
1. It gives a sense of accountability. Spending a day playing video games or watching movies may seem like a good idea at the time but when you look back at a journal entry and all you see is "Played video games and jacked off", you start to reduce the time you spend in such activities (at least I do).
2. It gives you the hard, cold facts. Memory is hazy and quite often we remember what we choose to remember. Having a Journal keeps you grounded in reality and tells you what you actually did on a particular day rather than what you think you did.
3. It helps you achieve your goals. I write my goals for a particular time period above the day from when the time period begins. The goal can be anything, from finishing 3 units of pimsleur to being able to do 15 pistol squats. After a couple weeks or so of tracking down your progress in your journal, you start to get a broader perspective of how well you used your time in achieving your goals and how far you have progressed.
4. It helps improve your ability to articulate your thoughts and it improves your writing skills. As some in this forum have pointed out, writing on this forum gives the hidden benefit of improving your writing skills. The Journal does much the same and it can prove very useful in the long run.
There you have it, the Panda's tips on keeping a Journal. I might not have covered all the benefits and dimensions of keeping a Journal so you can feel free to add any tips you have in a comment. Hope this helped.