How to keep a brag document
Keep a brag document by opening one running file and adding a line every Friday: what you did, the result with a number if possible, who benefited, and any praise received, pasted in with the date. Keep it somewhere you own, not only on a work device. At review time or before a raise conversation, it becomes your evidence in minutes instead of hours.
Why it matters: Wins are forgotten by review time unless you write them down as they happen.
Steps
- Create one document with a heading for each month.
- Set a fifteen minute reminder every Friday.
- Add what you did, the result, the number if there is one, and who it helped.
- Paste in thank-you messages and praise with the date and sender.
- Note new responsibilities and when they started.
- Keep a copy you own, without confidential company details, outside work systems.
- Before a review, pick the top five items and turn them into a one-page summary.
Common mistakes
- Only writing it the week before a review.
- Recording activity without results.
- Storing it only on a work laptop you could lose access to.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to keep a brag document
What to say
Keep a brag document by opening one running file and adding a line every Friday: what you did, the result with a number if possible, who benefited, and any praise received, pasted in with the date. Keep it somewhere you own, not only on a work device. At review time or before a raise conversation, it becomes your evidence in minutes instead of hours.
What to show
- Create one document with a heading for each month.
- Set a fifteen minute reminder every Friday.
- Add what you did, the result, the number if there is one, and who it helped.
- Paste in thank-you messages and praise with the date and sender.
- Note new responsibilities and when they started.
- Keep a copy you own, without confidential company details, outside work systems.
- Before a review, pick the top five items and turn them into a one-page summary.
Check question
How often should you add to a brag document?
Answer: Weekly. Weekly notes catch wins while details are fresh.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
This skill is general practice and draws on no single published source.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .