“Keeping a personal journal a daily in-depth analysis and evaluation of your experiences is a high-leverage activity that increases self-awareness and enhances all the endowments and the synergy among them.” — Stephen R. Covey
We experience each day in a different light. As we go through our routines, we learn new lessons and think new thoughts daily. This is why you should make it a point to write in your journal everyday. Write your thoughts. Write about your fears. Write about your learnings. Write about your dreams. Write about your reflections. Write about your achievements. Write about your prophecies and confessions. Write about the things you’re grateful for.
Life happens so fast that you need to document things to remember them in the future. To journal, you can use a hard copy journal or a notes/journal app like Evernote or both. Here’s why you should keep a journal.
The Human Mind Forgets
We do not retain enough information like we think we do. You will not remember everything you hear, see or read. Writing it down is the best way to remind yourself.
To Internalize Your Goals
As you write your goals over and over again, it is imprinted in your subconscious and internalised. When the goal becomes a part of your daily thoughts, you will be driven to putting in the work to make it materialise.
Evokes Creativity
When you start to write in a journal you get better at conveying your thoughts on paper. You become a better writer too.
To Track Your Progress
When we journal our dreams, goals and daily occurrences, we can trace growth over time. Day in day out you see your life advance little by little. You tend to appreciate the process and time it took to grow and change.
When To Journal
The Mornings
After you wake up, devote some time to write down your expectations for the day. Write some affirmations and re-write your goals and dreams for the season.
The Evenings
Write about your day. Capture the lessons, thoughts and plans. Capture your observations. Write about how you want the next day to be. Go to sleep with a request on your mind.
During The Day
A journal app affords you the opportunity to write down thoughts as you go through the day if you can’t carry your hard copy journal along. Make notes of anything which spark your imagination. You don’t have to wait till you get home to try to remember them. You can transfer the notes to your hard copy journal at night.
Journaling provides a new perspective to situations and doubles as therapeutic. Start a journal today.
Also published on Medium.