They say that if you want to achieve your goals, you should write them down. Write it down if you want to remember something. Write it down if you want to find out what’s really going on in your head. Journaling serves all three of these functions for me. I’m not sure what the science is behind journaling, but there seems to be something special about the connection between your brain and your hand as you write something down. Also, if you’re looking for new ideas or want to get to the bottom of a problem, journaling allows you to tap into your subconscious and uncover some of the issues that were previously hidden from you.

The act of journaling having to move a part of your body appears to signal a genuine effort towards the end goal. It goes beyond thinking and daydreaming. And if you can make it a habit, you’re telling yourself subtly, “I have committed to doing something.” Commitments boost confidence and self-esteem, making you more likely to achieve your goals. With each positive small commitment or habit you develop, you are saying, “I trust myself.” That is critical. That is enormous. That is essentially what self-help is all about. It doesn’t matter how you journal, but here are some suggestions if you’re stuck.

Every morning, I write down three things for which I am grateful. I do this because I am extremely ambitious and find it difficult to be satisfied with my progress. This gratitude exercise helps me recognise how many good things have happened in my life. It grounds me for about a day before I have to do it all over again to refocus. It is beneficial. Then I employ James Altucher’s idea-generation method. This is how it works. You jot down ten ideas per day. These concepts can be about anything. You can think of ways to improve your own life. You can also generate ideas for the lives and businesses of others. James claims that he frequently employs his ideas as a networking strategy. He’ll come up with concepts for others and send them as suggestions.

I usually write down ideas for articles, books, and ways to achieve some of my goals. You can use this method to strengthen your “idea muscle.” The majority of your suggestions will be bad, but some will be good. If you do this every day for a year, you’re bound to come up with one or two great ideas out of 3,650 attempts. There are authors and entrepreneurs who have created journals with pre-defined sections you can use to improve your life if you’re looking for a journaling routine you can use without having to come up with everything yourself.

The Stoic Daily Journal
Ryan Holiday is well-known for popularising the ancient philosophy of stoicism. His book, The Daily Stoic, teaches one stoic lesson per day and illustrates it with real-world examples. What exactly is stoicism? It is the art of remaining sane in an unfair and chaotic world. The Daily Stoic is accompanied by a companion journal, The Daily Stoic Journal, which includes a section for each lesson where you can write down your own thoughts. This is the journal for you if you’re feeling stuck, anxious, afraid, or full of doubt.

eThe Personal Journal
Cathryn Lavery and Allen Brouwer’s Self Journal assists you in reaching your goals and coming up with creative ideas.
It offers a methodical approach to both setting and achieving goals.
It includes items such as:
Important objectives
Daily goals
Learning experiences
Activities on a daily basis
Morning thanksgiving
Evening thanksgiving
Daily quotation

Popular Journaling Routines
Morning pages are a popular morning routine created by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist Within. Morning pages entail free-writing for three full pages on whatever you want. Writing for that many pages usually sparks creativity. Many people have also reported that the routine has resulted in significant emotional breakthroughs. It all makes sense. If you’re feeling down but don’t know why, free-write about it for three pages and something will come up. Try it out and see what you think. I’ve done it before, but I prefer my quick and easy routine. One of the first self-help gurus, Benjamin Franklin, created a ‘virtues journal.’ It listed thirteen virtues for each day on the page. He’d concentrate on one virtue per day while attempting to maintain the others. He marked an x on the cart if he failed to be virtuous in one area. The chart was initially filled with x’s. There were fewer after a while. He credits the journaling technique for making him a better person: Tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.

The Possibilities for Journaling Are Endless
Certain habits and routines, such as journaling and reading, are overly promoted, but I don’t mind because they’re life-changing habits that I hope people adopt. You can organise your journal however you want. Keep a journal for six months and I guarantee you’ll improve your life in some way. Why is it so potent? Again, just making the commitment establishes credibility with yourself. Monitoring yourself on a daily basis is also beneficial. One of the best ways to eat less is to start tracking your food, which is a great example of the power of monitoring. Don’t even try to change your habits at first; simply track what you put into your body and it may inspire you.

The same is true for your finances……and your goals….your happiness….your life. Journaling, if anything, helps you deal with what’s going on in your life. That’s a good start. A fantastic start.

Hi, I’m Garima and I write about life experiences. I have several books available on Amazon. Check them out today! Any purchases or KDP reads will be greatly appreciated. If you like my books, do leave a review. Here’s my author page on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0BQDZXYNV