I’m Bad With Journaling
Ok, I’ll admit it again. I’m terrible with journaling. I’ve tried multiple times and my good intentions just seem to fizzle. Fancy notebooks and fancy pens I have, but they sit unused all too often.
But I know all the benefits that journaling can bring, in multiple areas of my life. So I will keep trying. What might I include in my journaling?
Health Stuff
Everything else depends on health, so it makes sense to start here. First I want to track some numbers. For me that means weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. This may be different for others of course. I don’t record my numbers every day but if I do fairly often so I can look over my journal and get an idea of how things are going. Exercise also gets recorded. For me that means how many minutes on the treadmill. At times a walk or hike might be noted.
This might also be a place to mention any diet changes or progress you are monitoring. Health habits you are trying to make or change also belong here.
What I Did On My Top Three Goals
Three goals seem to be about the consensus on where you can concentrate your efforts on a particular day. It doesn’t mean you don’t do anything else. But this part of the journal is the place to list and reinforce your goals. You can track your progress and make sure your goals remain the focus of your day. What progress did you make? Where did you fall short and want to do better?
Reading Progress
I love to read. It is great for you in so many ways! This is one area where I do a fairly consistent job. So I want to reinforce this habit and the journal is a good place for that. This year I have a goal of finishing 48 books. Progress can be recorded as can special insights from the books I might add books I hear about that I want to add to my “to read” list.
New Ideas
I’m a believer in James Altucher’s concept of writing down 10 ideas every day. They don’t have to be good, the idea is to keep your “idea muscle” strong and flexible. I record my 10 ideas in a different spot, but the journal might be the place to repeat the “good” ideas I come across.
What Deep Work Did I Accomplish
I’m a firm believer in deep work, and the journal is a good place to record how I’m doing in that area. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept check out the book “Deep Work” by Cal Newport.
What Went Well
So how did things go since your last journal entry? Thoughts on that belong in your journal. I’ve noticed that weeks go by that I don’t think I accomplished much but when I look back, and the journal helps with that, I really did! This does wonders to help your self esteem and confidence to tackle bigger goals.
What Didn’t Go so Well
What didn’t go well also belongs in your journal. The purpose isn’t to beat yourself up, but rather to simply acknowledge the misses and hopefully learn from them. Then you may want to consider adding them to the next section.
What About Tomorrow
What are your three main goals for tomorrow? Record them in your journal. Maybe remind yourself why they are important.
I’ve love to hear how journaling works for you!
Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash
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