The 5-minute success book: A simple confidence exercise

Five minutes and five simple steps to record how great you really are.

When the unexpected happens and shakes our confidence, the simple steps below can give you something positive to look back on and help put a difficult day into perspective.

You may have tried keeping a journal several times but found it unrewarding or a chore. To make things simpler, try keeping a 'success book' if you don't already.

Step 1: Choose your success book

Get yourself a notebook you really like the look and feel of, maybe A5 or smaller, and a nice pen you will enjoy writing with. Keep them somewhere that you find a good place to relax and reflect.

Step 2: Reflect on your day

Think about the day and connect with how you feel about it; just think - no writing just yet! Was today a good day? Was it challenging? Was it a day you would like to never repeat?

Step 3: Notice what you did well

However the day went, recall the things you did well, handled or simply got through. They don't have to be life-changing; many things we do, we take for granted. It could be anything from the list below and more, because when you begin to enter a slump, even the simplest habits or smallest acts can be forgotten:

• Making a packed lunch for your partner.
• Finding a solution to a challenge at work.
• Repairing something in the house (especially if like me, you fear 'destroying it yourself').
• Buying a Big Issue or some other charitable act.
• Maybe you stayed hydrated all day.
• Booking a weekend away, just because.
• Sticking to a daily morning and evening routine (see my previous article).

It could be big things, small things or medium. It could be something that only impacts you or that benefits others. It's your book. If you want to draw little pictures in there or anything else, do it!

Step 4: Look back at your successes

Take five minutes once a week to read the recent successes. Take a deep, slow breath and recognise what these entries tell you about your strengths, effort and the things you've already managed.

Step 5: Return to it when you need it

When you have one of 'those' days, flip your success book open to a random page and really connect with the successes.

Taking a few minutes to revisit these moments may help you regain some perspective. One of your successes that day can be that you kept up the habit of your success book and used it when you really needed it. Well done!

Now what was that brilliant thing you did again?