Work Notes Notebook

invisible

invisible

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What system do you have for keeping your notes about work "Reflective Practice"?

I keep my notes in a book that was given to me by a wonderful colleague when I started an internship I did. I take it to all of my meetings. But I'm still using the same one because I don't have that many meetings, since I have not succeeded in obtaining professional work yet, and after working in customer service for a long time there's not much left to reflect on, the experiences are very repetitive.

I realised I hate the notebook, I can't sleep in the same room with it.

I would like to get an electronic notebook eventually to keep all my notes in, maybe the Microsoft Surface.

Any career defining note making experiences or tips to share?
 

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I was taught that it is really good to keep this kind of record cause it means that whenever you apply for a job or attend an interview you will be able to easily find examples of your achievements that relate to position selection criteria.

And that diarising your work achievements in terms of critical reflection is your best way to grow as a professional.

But considering I posted this thread over a week ago w zero responses to date it seems like I'm the only person on forum who is interested in reflective practice?
 
My current notebook of work reflections came into existence around 3 years ago.

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I find it's helpful because while some memories fade and soften over time (some grow edges like knives), having this to refer to keeps my thoughts and experiences more concrete. It provides a tangible map of my progress and growth, which is indispensable.
 
hush said:
My current notebook of work reflections came into existence around 3 years ago.

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I find it's helpful because while some memories fade and soften over time (some grow edges like knives), having this to refer to keeps my thoughts and experiences more concrete. It provides a tangible map of my progress and growth, which is indispensable.
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My last message was kind of cranky tone, sorry about that, I was angry about some event that happened in my life

Thanks for posting xoxox <3

I'm the same as you, I just forget things that happened and what I learned.

I also feel like sometimes as well the process of having to put it into words to write it down sometimes causes me to learn more from the experiences.

I think it's really good for just documenting stuff as well like knowing the dates of some particular project you worked on. Otherwise you just can't remember that stuff at all anyway.
 
hush said:
I find it's helpful because while some memories fade and soften over time (some grow edges like knives), having this to refer to keeps my thoughts and experiences more concrete. It provides a tangible map of my progress and growth, which is indispensable.
Click to expand...

So true.

Every evening just before I leave the office, I try to jot down into a separate notepad (pretty unadorned, nothing fancy) what I did, trying to remember the details. I'm only a tiny cog in a much bigger machine where I work (and I'm mostly at the headquarters while other staff goes to the field to do "the real stuff") so even to just keep in mind the importance of my contribution, I find that pretty essential. It gives me momentum, a sense of direction, and sustained belief in the cause I work for.

invisible said:
But I'm still using the same one because I don't have that many meetings, since I have not succeeded in obtaining professional work yet, and after working in customer service for a long time there's not much left to reflect on, the experiences are very repetitive.
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Good luck with securing a job you enjoy, @invisible :)
 
Anyway, I missed this thread originally. I don't like giving myself extra work so I try to just keep simple records of the things I've been involved in. I tend to have a really good memory for whatever reason, but I still forget details so if there's some sort of particulars I'll make sure to add a note along with the thing I'm keeping a record of. I tend to just use google docs or excel and keep things as simple as possible. I try not to dwell on my past too much and don't really have time to spend analyzing what I did wrong two years ago and be sad about how dumb I was.
 
Objective documenting is so embedded in my work that it can be difficult for me to switch out of that mode. I do keep a journal (just started #12) that is a combination of all aspects of my life. Work, relationships, intense dreams, random thoughts, pictures that won't leave my mind. I use the typical spiral-bound notebook sized sketchbooks as there's just something more personal when I can feel the pen scratching on paper. Almost a feeling of nostalgia, like walking into a library with the scent of old books in the air.
 
I keep sketch books. Jot down ideas, drawings, poems. Its interesting after a few decades to go back over them and see how Ive changed.
 
Spreadsheets that outline work, progress, and deadlines. This is the single most important tool for me to juggle all the work that comes my way.

It's goofy how easy it is to do and maintain, but I understand it takes certain personalities to keep up with it. For me it's like a series of little stories, and it feels pretty fucking good to conclude those stories from week to week.
 
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