Why you should start keeping a journal
Many of the greatest figures from history were known for their journal keeping e.g. Winston Churchill. Journaling on its own is not the key to success but when so many successful people, throughout history, have been committed to keeping a journal, it is certainly worth looking at. Keeping a journal is a great way to ensure that you are taking in all of the important things that are going on in your life. It provides critical information for decision-making amongst other things. In fact, there are many benefits to keeping a journal, some of which I will discuss here.
Keeping a journal is a simple and enjoyable method to help you focus on what really matters. For more strategies to help you do this, check out my FREE report - Improve Your Focus; Increase Your Productivity.
Benefits of keeping a journal
There is an almost endless list of benefits to keeping a journal. Too many to cover in one article but I will cover a few of the main benefits here:
1. Record keeping
When you write a journal, it of course means you have a record of everything you’ve done. When you need to make important decisions, further down the line, you can look back at your journal and spot trends which may have been working either for you or against you. This helps you to identify which behaviours need to be stopped and which should be continued.
It can sometimes be a great feeling looking back and seeing all the exciting things you’ve done. However, when you look back, you may see things about yourself and your behaviour which you do not like. You don’t have to stress about this; once you see it; you can work to change it.
Whether things need to be changed or not, keeping a journal gathers some wonderful memories which you otherwise may have forgotten. Imagine in 20 years’ time when you can look back upon all of these memories and reflect back upon the life you have lived.
Of course it is not only you who can learn from your journal. Others can learn too, if you choose to share with them.
Key point
It is very easy to go through life without learning from your experiences, good or bad. Keeping a journal brings awareness to each of your experiences and allows you to gain a better understanding of which behaviours you need to stop, start or continue.
Related
If you want to gain a better understanding of your life and, simplify it, check out Scaling Back.
2. It’s meditative
When you are keeping a journal, writing your daily entry forces you to focus and concentrate. This act shuts out the rest of the world. You forget about your worry, guilt or fear. All of the negative things slip aside as you focus only on the content which is going to be entered into your journal.
Each of us have a great deal of understanding and wisdom within us. We just need to spend some time tapping into it. As we look inward, rather than at the outside world; we gain a better understanding of what is going on in our life. This enables us to make better decisions. Sometimes, it allows us to see that what we thought were problems, are not really problems.
Meditation allow us to look inward while blocking out the rest of the world. Journaling is a meditative process.
Key point
Keeping a journal gives you the time and space to look at your life in a more reflective way which allows you to access the wisdom and understanding you need to make the right decisions.
3. It heightens awareness
It is easy to become so busy in life that you don’t actually notice what is going on both in your life and in the world around you. You fail to observe. It is hard to know if you are on the right path and if you are making the right decisions, if you are not aware.
By taking time to think about what is going in your life, your awareness is elevated. You cease to be a passenger in your life and instead, you become more willing to take the wheel and take responsibility for your life.
Sometimes, we just need to walk up. We are sleep walking through life. We make decisions without thinking about them. When something happens, we respond without ever trying to understand what we are responding to.
Keeping a journal forces you to slow down a little and understand the world around you and; how you are interacting with it. When you do this, you take control of your life and live a smarter, more effective life.
Key point
Too often, people try to rush though life; jumping from one action to another and one decision to another. They try to keep moving forward rather than pause for a moment to identify the right way forward. Journaling allows you to pause, breathe, understand and determine the right move for you to make.
Keeping a journal forces you to slow down a little and understand the world around you and; how you are interacting with it. When you do this, you take control of your life and live a smarter, more effective life.
4. It helps you to simplify
A great deal of the stress and worries in your life are caused by things that really shouldn’t be in your life in the first place. Because of our over exposure to advertising we have started to think that quantity is more important than quality. We have filled our lives with things that do not add value.
When you are keeping a journal, you notice the things that are really important and you begin to see how little you really need to enjoy your life. Slowly, your focus shifts from quantity to quality and you make the decisions which can simplify and declutter your life; allowing you to make your quality of life your number one priority
It should be noted that decluttering your life also goes for people. If you are regularly having trouble with somebody, you should ask yourself whether they should be in your life at all. Or, whether they should be getting as much of your time and attention as they currently are.
Keeping a journal allows you to see who, and what, needs to be eased out of your life.
Key point
Trying to pack everyo9ne and everything into your life doesn’t work. You can make more time for the people and things that matter by giving less time to those that don’t. Keeping a journal allows you to determine the difference.
Related
If you want to declutter your life and, simplify it, check out Scaling Back.
5. It increases your appreciation
When you are living a hectic life, you may fail to notice all of the good things which you have in your life – the people, the experiences, the opportunities and the comforts. There is so much good in each of our lives but we tend to get caught up in the negative events and forget about the great stuff.
When you are keeping your journal, you should be reflecting each day, recalling all of the good things you have experienced or you have in your life. This will elevate your gratitude and appreciation, your confidence and your self-esteem.
All because your journaling requires you to take a more objective and realistic look at your life.
Making time each day for appreciation and gratitude helps you to develop a positive mindset. You will achieve far more with a positive mindset than you will with a negative one.
Key point
Gratitude and appreciation give you a much more accurate and honest perspective on your own life. You realise that happiness is not something which you need to chase. It is something you already have and simply wish to expand further.
Keeping a journal is a simple and enjoyable method to help you focus on what really matters. For more strategies to help you do this, check out my FREE report - Improve Your Focus; Increase Your Productivity.
6. It can be used as a change tool
Keeping a journal does not always require you to keep very detailed records of the events of the day. It is more usually about feelings, thoughts and experiences but there are many instances where you can use it for capturing precise details.
One example of this would be when you are dieting, you might choose to record everything that you eat and drink.
If you are determined to keep accurate records, you are going to benefit from keeping a journal for a couple of reasons:
- With an accurate record of what has happened you are in a better position to choose the right changes to make
- When you know you are going to keep a record of an unwanted behaviour, you are more motivated to avoid the behaviour
- The negative feeling experienced when recording a negative event can be enough to motivate you to improve
With these kind of benefits, a journal proves to be a powerful tool when you are trying to make changes in your life.
Key point
When change is necessary, you need to remember that accurate information assists effective decision making. Keeping a journal is a simple way to ensure you have accurate information, as and when you need it.
Related
Keeping a journal is just one great way of simplifying your life to improve your quality of life. For more great strategies, check out Scaling Back.
Conclusion
A journal is a wonderful tool with many different uses. The greatest minds in history all kept journals. They were not doing this for nothing. They knew the benefits that could be achieved by this very simple act. Why not identify the ways in which keeping a journal may benefit you and start your journal today? There is no right way or wrong way to keep a journal. Just get started and your own style will evolve over time.