Making changes in life is not about one off actions. It is about forming new habits which serve you better and help you get to where you need to go. If you are going to make important changes, you need to be able to measure and keep track of your progress. If the change is quantitative in nature e.g. you want to lose X number of pounds, then it is very easy to measure you progress. However, not all of your goals will be so easy to measure so, how do you keep track of progress on these goals? The answer is quite simple; you should be keeping a journal.
Keeping a journal is a wonderful activity for your personal growth. It forces you to reflect on your life regularly. It becomes more obvious where your challenges lie when you have to put your experiences down on paper. There is a huge amount of activity going on in your mind on a daily basis and, unless you make some effort to capture it and process it, it stays there. Eventually, you have so much going on in your mind that the majority of your mental energy is used up just trying to keep hold of it. Keeping a journal provides you with an avenue to get this stuff out of your head and down on paper. Some of this stuff will just be thoughts that you want to write down and let go but others will be valuable insights which will help you to determine how you are progressing and identify challenges that you are facing and need to overcome.
By keeping a journal, you bring these challenges out of the dark corners of your mind and bring them into your conscious awareness by shedding some light on them. Awareness is the first step in overcoming any challenge that you may be facing, for it is only when you become aware of a problem that you are really in a position to solve it. Keeping a journal also serves as a great way to record your life and see how you’ve grown over the years. You might be surprised three years from now when you look back on today and see how far you have come.
6 Tips for keeping a journal
It can be tough to get started: what do you write about? Should you use a notebook, word processor or something fancy like a leather-bound journal?
1. Choose your medium
It really doesn’t matter where you record your life; all have their advantages and disadvantages. Just choose something that works for you.
My personal preference is to use a notebook. This forces me to switch away from my computer and the traffic that comes with it. Also, I like to write from a stream of consciousness whereby I do not analyse anything that I write. I just keep writing down all the thoughts that come through my mind. Unless you are a very quick typist, it can be very difficult to keep up with the speed of your thoughts when using a computer to keep a journal.
2. Set a timer
Some days you will be in the mood to write a whole lot while on others, you will struggle to produce much content. Some people set themselves a word limit to write each day but if you are not in a mood to write a lot, you can become frustrated with your struggle to meet your word limit which defeats the purpose of keeping a journal.
Instead, set a timer for a set number of minutes- 5-10 minutes is a good starting point. Start the timer and just write down every thing that comes into your head until the timer sounds.
3. Set a specific time
Keeping a journal is a powerful activity so; you need to make it an important ritual in your life. I recommend first thing in the morning. This allows me to clear my head of unprocessed thoughts and I can then focus on the activities of the day with a clearer mind which allows for a higher standard of performance.
4. Never miss more than one day
Things come up, and it’s easy to miss a day here and there. If you miss more than one day in a row, you might wind up missing five days before you know it. The importance of keeping a journal dictates that if you miss a day, you must get back on track as quickly possible. If you miss a number of days, you miss out on vital learning and you will actually feel worse because of the days missed.
To help you cope better with any days missed, write the date at the beginning of each day’s journaling. You can then identify the days missed and look back at your calendar or planner and your emails to jog your memory about how the days were spent.
5. Jog your memory with your goals
Remind yourself of your key goals at the start of your journaling. This will jog your memory and focus your mind to recall victories and challenges. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, mention related victories, missteps, and your weight fluctuations. If you’re trying to earn an extra $1,000 this month, keep track of your progress.
6. Keep your journal private and secure
The real value in keeping a journal comes with the openness and honesty required for the process. You must not hold back. Your journal allows you the opportunity to open up and acknowledge things that you might not feel comfortable sharing with anyone else.
If you believe that someone else might see it, you might be hesitant to be completely open when writing in it. Store your journal somewhere that no nobody else can access it e.g. if it is on a computer, password protect the file; if it is in a notebook; keep the notebook in a locked drawer or cabinet.
To set and achieve effective goals, check out the Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting.
Keeping a journal is one of the simplest but most valuable processes that you can engage in. Writing for just 5-10 minutes each day will provide you with a lifetime of learning and memories. You will be better able to identify and overcome the challenges that you will face on the way to achieving your goals. In addition, you will build your confidence and self-belief as you acknowledge each little victory along the way. Keeping a journal is an excellent way to record your life and track your progress. Think about how interesting it would be to read your current entries 10 or even 50 years from now. You might even want to give your journals to your children someday. Begin your journal today. A life worth living is a life worth recording!