If you are like me (and I am going to assume some of you are at least a little bit like me) the idea of journaling may not be all that appealing to you.
The first time I attended a Think By Design and heard Dr. Jamie suggest keeping a journal, I thought it sounded kind of lame. When I thought of journaling it brought to mind twelve year old girls doodling hearts in a pink diary with a lock and key.
Then, eventually, like most things By Design, I decided that if other people were finding it helpful and beneficial for their health and happiness, I should probably try it.
I went out and bought a brand new notebook from Indigo. It was very tasteful with a nice leather cover and smooth off white pages. Is there anything better than new stationary? Seriously. New notebooks. Best. Thing. Ever.
But I digress...
So I got this notebook and went into Starbucks. I sat down with my Americano, opened the book, picked up my pen… And stared blankly at the page for several minutes. Fidgeted. Played with my hair a bit. Tried to think of something profound about my life to write about. Nothing.
Fortunately, one of my favorite success guru’s Robin Sharma gives great tips on journaling. I Googled it. When in doubt, always Google.
One thing Robin always recommends journaling about are the things that you are grateful for. So that is what I did. I started writing down the names of people I was happy to have in my life and the ways that they had enriched my life. Pretty soon I had filled two whole pages and was feeling really, really good.
The next time I sat down with my journal, I was feeling really anxious and worried. I wrote down what I was feeling and why I was stressing out. It helped me to see it in writing. I realized I was totally over reacting. Then, I wrote down two good things that had happened to me that day (another Robin Sharma tip). Phew. Turns out my life did not actually suck all that much.
Now, I journal regularly. It is not a huge undertaking. It is just like having that internal dialogue that we all have in our minds, but putting it down on paper.
This Think By Design stuff works.
When you write down your thoughts and feelings, you arrive at ah-ha moments often. I frequently arrive at the “Wow, that sounds crazy” ah-ha moment. I cannot tell you how many times I have not overreacted at my boyfriend because I wrote down the insignificant thing that happened that I thought was a huge deal.
Self-awareness is always the first step before you can change anything in your life. Writing down your thoughts and habits can be very powerful towards developing better self-awareness.
In the same way that we suggest clients keep a food log to help stay on track with eating By Design, journaling can help you to stay on track with your mental and emotional health.
For all of the journaling newbies, if you do not know where to start, here are some ideas:
- Write down five people who you are grateful to have in your life.
- Write down three good things that happened to you today (even if it was just hearing a great song or getting all green lights on the way to work).
- Write down an issue that has been challenging you.
- Before confronting someone, write down why you have felt wronged and what you feel would be a good solution.
- Write down five things that you have achieved in your life that you are proud of.
- Write down three small goals that you can achieve today or this week.
I hope this helps!
Go get that fresh notebook!
We would love to hear what you are journaling about. Please post your great journaling ideas below!
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