This is your reminder to write it down

What are you proud of? What wild and intense project did you power through? What thoughtful idea did you pitch, plan, see through to the finish, and get great feedback on? Did you have any (hard-won) lessons along the way that made an impact on how you work or think or relate to others?

Now think back 6 months. A year. Two years. Can you remember the details of similar projects and lessons? For most people, remembering details like facts and figures is a challenge as time passes.

So I'm here to remind you to take some time right now to capture the details. Write down the facts and figures, but also the feelings and connections you made. Write them down while you're still in the thick of things and feeling amped up by your successes, and while the lessons are still keenly felt.

Here are some details I've started capturing about the work I'm currently doing:

• What I did: What did I work on? A project? A task? Building a relationship? What are the details - dates, deliverables, impacts?

• What I learned: What lessons did I learn during the project? Was I open to those lessons? If I was resistant, what was behind that and how did I overcome it?

• How I did it: What skills and behaviors did I rely on? Did I stretch myself to develop new abilities?

• Who I connected with: Who was a great collaborator (or support or guide) on the project? What impressed me about their contributions? What did I gain from and contribute to the relationship?

• What I feel: What did I feel throughout the work - beginning, middle, end? What shifts did I experience and what prompted them?

Keeping a running document with these sorts of details can serve you in a few ways:

• Reflection: Remind yourself how far you've come. In those moments that you doubt your abilities or forget what you've invested to build your skills and relationships, look to this list to bolster your confidence.

• Growth: Gain insights for your next steps. What skills or relationships or outcomes were you most energized by? Where did you fall down and want to build up? How can you structure your next project or role or skill development to include these elements?

• Proof: Draw from a wealth of detail as you head into your next performance conversation, job interview, or when it's time to pitch a project idea. You can shift your energy from remembering the details and into shaping the message for your audience.

What can you capture about the work you've been doing? What did you wish you'd captured about a recent project? If the best time to capture it was in the past, the next best time is right now. I'd love to hear one thing you're proud of in the comments below. And if you have other ideas for how to capture these accomplishments, please share!