Journaling
There is much to be gained from the process of writing down our experiences, both negative and positive. In the end, it is how we perceive and approach the events that shape who we become. Make use of this beautiful tool. Your journal can be the place where you express yourself openly and vulnerably with the intention of learning as much as you can about yourself and using that knowledge to push, progress, and continue growing. Brendon Burchard said it best in his book, The Charge: “Beginning today, set an intention and a relentless focus on living your life as the greatest person you can be, in all situations. Demand that you demonstrate a strength of character in such a way that you find pride in who you are, and that others see you as a role model.”
1: Idea Journal
A journal can serve as a wonderful idea-catcher. For example, you may discover that if you combine idea number 5 and idea number 23 together, you're suddenly looking at a new product, service or solution! Remember, one of the best ways to cultivate new ideas is to actively chase them, and recording them in a journal keeps them all neatly in one place.
2: Research Journal
Are you doing research about something? Make sure you record all the interesting info you're finding in one place. You can keep smaller notebooks, if you would rather; one for each subject or project. This will allow you to easily access each journal by topic at a later date.
3: Books/Movies Journal
What books have you read that made an impact? What movies have you seen that inspire you? Journaling about these will help you keep track of your experiences, reflections, and any inspirations that arise. to keep track of movies and books recommended, so you know who to thank when you find something you enjoy.
4: Health Journal
If you’re experiencing any type of health issue or started a new fitness routine, a health journal can be helpful. In both cases you can track your health and keep track of appointments and outcomes of doctor visits. If you’re trying to lose, gain or maintain your weight, you can record what you eat, how often you exercise, and your times and distances for running or walking, and any other progress you find noteworthy.
5: Finance Journal
This journal is more than just a place to write what your expenses are and how you spend your money. Use this to record your income, your debts, weekly, monthly and yearly goals; having a clear sense of your current financial situation will provide you with greater clarity as you map out future financial plans.
6: Dream Journal
Keep a journal near your bed and write about your dreams when you wake up. A dream journal can be a memory-jogger and an incredible source of insight into your inner world, allowing you to see recurrent patterns in dreams. It’s important when journaling to suspend all judgments about what occurred in the dream, as dreams can often be symbolic.
7: Awareness Journal
As you notice varying limiting beliefs and patterns of thinking that come up and work as blocks, set aside space in your journal to record them. Again, this is done with a view towards examining why they are there and releasing them as they are no longer serving you. This is most effectively done using clearing techniques which you can read more about in the course, "Limiting Beliefs".
8: Gratitude Journal
Likely one of the most recognized forms of journaling, keeping a gratitude journal is key in building and maintaining the momentum of good things in your life. When writing about the things you are grateful for, be sure to engage all the senses.
9: Art Journal
If you’re more of a visual person, this might be an additional style you can add to your journaling. Cut out pictures or sketch your thoughts. Use the pictures and drawings to help you write your story in this journal.
10: Work-day Journal
Write down what you got done that day and what needs to be done tomorrow. Write the things you learned and experienced. The primary intention of this form of journaling is to mentally turn-off work-mode. Just as with physical training, one needs to rest and recover between workdays in order to get stronger. Use this journaling session to completely unplug and detach from the workday. This allows you to be fully present with your family and friends.
Journaling can be a magnificent tool in the pursuit of creating your best life and becoming your best self. Enjoy the journey!