Journaling is an essential tool for a successful business person. So much so it is officially a Life Hack.
By starting a daily journaling habit you can track your personal growth, record ideas and insights and have the occasional epic private venting session.
Your goals become clearer when you write them down and keep track of your action plan.
In fact, a study by psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews has shown that writing down your goals and action plan significantly increases your ability to reach those goals. This is especially true if this journaling is part of a larger accountability plan with a partner.
But what about when you are getting into the habit of daily journaling? Now that you are staring down a blank page, what seemed like a great idea is now stressful. However, answering a few simple questions everyday will unleash the transformative power of your journal for both personal and business growth.
1) What was the best thing that happened today at work?
2) What was the most challenging thing that happened today at work?
3) What was the best thing that happened today in my personal life?
4) What was the most challenging thing that happened today in my personal life?
5) What action did I take today to advance my goals?
6) What could I have done better to advance my goals?
7) What do I have to get off my chest?
8) What is something I am proud of?
Answering these questions will help you to keep track of your experiences everyday, provide a daily reminder of your goals and clear negative emotions out of your head so that you can have a more restful sleep and get more accomplished tomorrow.
While eight questions may seem like a lot, your responses to these questions can be as short or long as you want. Some days there will be very little to write. For example, the day you have the flu you are very unlikely to have done anything to advance your goals other than “didn’t barf on business journal”.
The important thing is to write in the journal every day to keep in the habit. Missing a day means that you might be missing the formation of an incredible idea or insight. Even if you have a day that is too busy to answer all eight questions, just a few short sentences will keep you on track and might prove very illuminating in the future.
That being said, if you miss a day (or two, or three) don’t get too discouraged. Just start again. It’s better to start again and get back on track than feel ashamed for not maintaining your journaling habit and lose out on the growth and insight.
I Believe In You. You’ve Got This
-Erin
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Erin is a writer, storyteller, and self proclaimed nerd, and we love her.
You can reach Erin at er@thebusinessmagazineforwomen.com
and on Twitter: @mediumknight
For questions about this article, please reach out to Erin (above) or to us here.
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