Journaling matters. “If you’re serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured and unique individual, keep a journal. Don’t trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.” – Jim Rohn
Journaling has been an important part of my life for many years. I continue to use it daily (in some form) to collate my thoughts and work through issues and find answers.
Did you know that some of the most successful people in history are known journalers? It’s true. Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Winston Churchill, it is well document, often carried notebooks to record their thoughts.
Still not convinced?
Here are 7 reasons why you should keep a journal:
- Regular writing stimulates your mind- Like exercise for your brain, journaling helps build memory and your ability to recall and stay mentally active.
- Journaling helps your creativity- When we were young, we have wild and vivid imaginations, allowing us to think outside the box. We came up with unique solutions. When we journal, we unleash that imagination from our past and creative problem-solving emerges.
- To better understand yourself and your thinking pattern- nothing brings clarity to your mind and familiarity with yourself like journaling.
- Life’s little details- with so much information swirling around us daily and so much media vying for our attention, the best way to remember the important details of our life is to write them down.
- Journaling is motivation – write positive affirmations, write favorite quotes or song lyrics that pick you up. Return to your journal when you need a boost, a smile or some motivation.
- Make a connection – journaling helps you connect your emotions with your values and your values with your goals. Like the dot-to-dot pages you worked on as a kid, journaling connects thoughts, feelings, intuitions and observations that you hadn’t connected previously.
- Track your development- what is measured can be improved. Journaling is a tracking method for keeping tabs on how you are doing, where you are succeeding and areas of improvement.
Convinced? How do I start?
Here are 4 tips to get started:
- Keep it simple- there is no “right” format, don’t get hung up on spelling or grammar and especially don’t concern yourself with penmanship. Find a style and a voice that works for you whether it is narrative, in the first person, or third person, or if you prefer checklists or doodles; to each their own.
- Frequent- write often. Cramming 6 months of observations, feelings and ideas into an afternoon of writing is not as productive as 2 minutes before bed jotting down your thoughts for the day.
- Consistent- set aside a time and a place on a daily or weekly basis to recap notes, quotes, ideas and feelings. I recommend carrying a notebook always and writing when ideas come. Then, have a consistent time to debrief and connect ideas.
- Enjoy- take a deep breath and keep your journaling an enjoyable experience. Do not judge what is written or share it but keep it as your personal treasure. Have fun and occasionally take the time to reread your writings and relive the joyous journey.
Looking for ideas?
Here is a list of ideas to keep track of in your journal. Remember, this is your journal, you should record whatever you inspired to.
- Personal situations and lessons learned
- To do lists (who doesn’t love keeping lists?)
- Goals you’re working toward and steps to achieve them
- Favorite quotes
- Music you are inspired by
- Websites to remember and return to
- Books to read and reread (take a look at my bookshelf here)
- Record your successes.
I am a huge believer in the power of journaling. It is one practice that has had an important impact in my development and maturity.
As Jim Rohn taught, so I try to be, “I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, “Twenty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?” The reason I pay twenty-six dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth twenty-six dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn’t have to look very far to discover it is worth more than twenty-six dollars.” How much is your journal worth?