Are you having trouble trying to measure your personal success? Do you feel like you haven’t accomplished much and wonder where you’re going or what you’re doing? Journaling is a great way to chronicle your journey. Here are some tips on how you can use a journal as you strive towards success.

1. Don’t go fancy. The best way to keep and use a journal is to buy a notebook or journal that isn’t so pretty or attractive that you don’t want to mess it up by writing in it. Buy something rugged that can withstand being carried around and transported without tearing up.

2. Write down dates and times. As you begin your success journal, remember to write the date and even the time at the top of each page. You want to keep your journal very detailed so you can go back to specific dates as needed.

3. Make a note of accomplishments. Don’t forget to write down every accomplishment you experience, no matter how great or small. These are milestones in your journey to success and should be recorded.

4. Make a note of failures or mistakes. As equally important is your mistakes and failures. These are filled with important lessons for you to learn from. While you might feel bad about them at the time, it is important to write them down and write down any lessons you can see from them at the time.

5. Jot down your thoughts and feelings. It is also important that you keep notes of your thoughts during these times as well. You’ll be able to track your emotional highs and lows, and will probably even be able to see how your mental status corresponds with your successes or lack thereof.

Do you feel like you have a ton of emotional baggage hanging onto you? Do you feel the oppressive weight of problems from the past year weighing you down? Keep reading because I have some encouraging news for you…

First, encourage yourself. The first thing you must do is pick yourself up and dust yourself off. Courage begins within yourself. You have to put the past in the past and move forward with today. Encourage yourself to get up and try again, no matter how big your past failures might be.

Second, plan for a better future. Sometimes our failures teach us that we didn’t plan very well in the past. If this is your case, sit down right now and make a plan for this year. What do you want to accomplish? What are three things that must be done by the end of the year? How do you want your life to be different next year?

Third, get moving. The worst thing you can do is sit around feeling sorry for yourself. You’ll end up more depressed than ever before. You have to get up and get moving. Problems will always be around. But what you do with those problems is what will matter. You can sit around and wish your life away, or you can choose to become proactive in doing something about your situation.

Are you feeling wiped out? Does it seem like no matter how hard you try, or how many hours you put into something, it never quite turns out right? If your productivity levels decrease, so does the quality of your work. As such, you must figure out a way to improve your productivity and I’m going to show you how to do that.

First, take a look at how long it takes you to complete something. Do you spend 40 hours per week in your office, only to complete about 20 hours worth of work? If so, you’re in big trouble. You have lost balance in your productivity. One of the big questions you should ask yourself is, “Why doesn’t this excite me?” When you can answer this question, you’ll be able to pinpoint the root of your marginal success.

Second, take some time off. Sometimes the cause for unproductiveness is simply because you are burned out. This almost always happens when you begin working long hours and burn the candle at both ends. Make an appointment at a day spa. Take a two week vacation. Go on a cruise. Do something out of the normal to rejuvenate yourself.

Third, start planning ahead. Lack of good time management skills can cost you a great deal, where productivity is concerned. Keep a day planner or small calendar handy at all times to record upcoming dates, appointments, and project deadlines. You’ll find that your productivity will increase as you become more conscious of planning in advance.

Fourth, be alert to procrastination and wipe it out. Procrastination is quite possibly the number one cause of unproductiveness. If you tend to put things off until the last minute, ask yourself why you do this. Is the project overwhelming? Do you feel incapable of handling it? Are you bored with it? Get the worst things done first and you won’t leave any room for procrastination any longer.

As you start this new year, perhaps one of your goals or resolutions is to create a better work experience for yourself. This article will help you, by explaining four work ethics you should live by. Here they are:

1. If you fail to plan, then plan to fail. One of the worst mistakes many people make is failing to plan. In doing so, you actually plan to fail because without a plan, you won’t get very far. If you don’t already have a business plan, sit down and write out some of your goals and plans right now.

2. Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. Believe it or not, the Golden Rule is still very much applicable in today’s world. While many people choose not to live by it (some people don’t even know what the Golden Rule is anymore!), the Golden Rule can help you create long-lasting relationships as well as nurture others.

3. Don’t wait—get things done NOW. One of the biggest problems is procrastination. It’s just way too easy to put things off and tell yourself that you’ll get it done tomorrow. The problem is that tomorrow rarely comes. Plus, you end up with a desk stacked full of stuff that could have—and should have—been taken care of long ago. Get it done NOW!

4. Keep your word. If you say you’re going to do something, then do it. If you promise a client you’ll be finished with his project in three weeks and it turns out you’ll need more time, just tell him so. You’ll find that you’ll be much more respected for following up, rather than ignoring the situation and hoping the client will fall off the face of the earth. Remember: you’re only as good as your word!