Keep a work journal - Joel Hawksley

Keeping an internally public work journal turns everyday tasks into visible impact. By posting a brief snippet at the end of each day, engineers force themselves to identify and articulate value, giving managers a ready-made evidence base for feedback and promotion discussions.

The habit creates a feedback loop: the act of publishing motivates work worth sharing, while the written reflection forces better time allocation and opens conversations about priorities. Managers gain a low-effort report that surfaces contributions beyond code merges, such as pair-programming guidance, security reviews, or meeting facilitation.

Documenting "the unlinkable" work-reviews, mentorship, meeting influence-provides a holistic picture that traditional issue trackers miss. It also supplies a permanent, searchable archive, avoiding the ephemerality of Slack posts or stand-up notes and reducing the risk of lost context during manager changes or vacations.

When performance reviews arrive, the journal becomes a ready-made inventory, cutting preparation time to minutes. The end-of-day shutdown ritual-posting then powering down-helps separate work from life, especially for remote engineers, and reinforces a sustainable rhythm.

Overall, a public daily journal builds personal accountability, improves visibility across the organization, and simplifies the performance review process, making it a practical tool for any technical leader looking to demonstrate consistent impact.