In a small, red leather-bound journal with the word "Laugh" embossed on the front, I keep track of my progress with Crossfit. The journal was given to me for Christmas of 2008 and sometime around February of 2009 I started recording results on a regular basis. (At the time, it seemed inappropriate to record my fitness progress in a journal instructing me to laugh. Now, it seems entirely perfect).
Just yesterday I finally digitized my records into a google document. Now I can look back and grimace and smile at my progress over the last 10 months. I laugh at what I was deadlifting but also frown because I haven't made more progress. Where has my focus been? After some reflection, I realize it was all over the place.
Dates and workout times are important to record, but so are personal notes. Although it seems extraneous at the time, these make for juicy tid bits of insight later on. Making note of how you felt due to a previous workout, or mention of an injury might help you remember why your progress was either thwarted or exceptional. Since nutrition is a huge part of the equation, notes on dietary changes or improvements are also important.
Overall, such self-reflection is incredibly helpful. Reading my "laugh journal" was a great way to start 2010, but I couldn't help but wonder why I didn't start sooner, reflect more often, and keep better records...it's hard to know how far you've come if you don't even know where you started.
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