In today’s do-more, achieve-more society, you might sometimes feel as though you don’t get enough done in a day. Perhaps your workday was derailed by meetings that ran long or you got pulled into a project that sidetracked your plan for the day. Maybe you could have used the hours in your day more effectively and crossed off more items on your to-do list. However, when it comes down to it, you probably made more progress than you think.

Lisa Evans, a writer who focuses on mental and physical health, contributed a piece for Fast Company about how to feel more accomplished at the end of your day. She says a sense of accomplishment is an important part of our sense of self-worth. When you get upset with yourself, thinking you could have accomplished more, you damage your self-esteem and end up feeling depleted at the end of the day. Nobody wants that. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we highlight Evans’ tips for ending each day feeling good about your accomplishments.

1. Break your goals into sub-goals. If your plate is full of big goals that are difficult to accomplish in one day, you invite feelings of inadequacy. You might want to get those items crossed off your list as fast as possible but keeping them as they are will make you feel as though you are not making any progress. It’s better to divide your goals into sub-goals to boost your confidence and help you stay on track because you are truly making progress. For example, if you must create a PowerPoint for a client presentation, begin by identifying all the steps required to reach your goal. At the end of the day, you might not have the entire presentation complete, but you will have made some progress, whether that’s brainstorming the content or checking with colleagues on data points.

2. Make a note of all the tasks you completed. No matter when you start or finish your workday, you undoubtedly achieve many things. Evans says one of the reasons we feel unaccomplished is simply because we forget all we have done. Take a few minutes to journal something you learned during the day. Most of us focus on performance goals but also remember to acknowledge learning goals as well.

3. Reserve an easy task for tomorrow. As the clock approaches 5 pm (or whenever you usually call it a day), choose an item from your to-do list that you can complete in 15 minutes or less and move it to the top of the next day’s to-do list. When you start your day intentionally with an easy task, you get the momentum going without having to contemplate what you will tackle first.

4. Ask for feedback. If you want to know how well you are progressing toward a goal, seek feedback from a boss, colleague or client. You might think you aren’t getting enough done, but those around you might be impressed.

5. Be kind to yourself. Rather than allowing negative thoughts to invade, practice self-compassion. Plans are made for a perfect world, but every day, distractions pop up. Give yourself a break at the number of tasks you have yet to complete, and if possible, modify your goals or spread your tasks over a longer period of time.

At the end of the day, you’re likely accomplishing more than you think. Take some pride in what you achieved or learned today. You’ll wake up recharged tomorrow and ready for the day ahead.

Source: Lisa Evans is a freelance writer in Toronto who covers topics related to mental and physical health. She strives to help readers make small changes to their daily habits that have a profound and lasting impact on their productivity and overall job satisfaction.