Do you journal each day?
My journey with this has a mixed success. I always find that when I start I will go for a few days and then for whatever reason will stop. Always some silly excuse such as: “I had a long day”, “I am tired”, “Oh well, will do two entries tomorrow”. And the good intentions fade away.
Benefits of a daily journal
Some of the biggest world influencers kept a daily journal. But is this part of their success? I have dived into the never ending pool of advice on this topic and here are some of my findings.
- You get better at communicating with others. – “Writing has critical connections to speaking” according to a Stanford report. Writing a daily note in your diary is a way to communicate (be it with yourself!). It is the process of thinking and writing at the same time that gets you better and better at speaking and expressing your thoughts.
- You feel good for venting your emotions. – By writing how you feel you get better and better at recognising your own states of mind. You also learn what has a negative impact on your day. The re-living of your emotions can be therapeutic as you can suddenly see the events in a different light.
- You are more likely to pick up on important life lessons. – Just as a good student that takes notes at each lesson – you will be the life student by taking notes about your own life. In simple words – things are likely to sink in deeper if you write them down!
- You are more likely to achieve your goals. – Writing things down is a form of accountability to yourself. By saying things like “I will grow my business to X size by 2018.” you are actually more likely to make this happen. There is nothing worst than letting yourself down.
- Your creativity blooms. – By writing regularly you are going to improve your creative writing skills (providing that you re-read and try to correct your writing each time). Be the self critic. It will be a great investment in yourself.
How much time does it have to take?
In my research I came across this app – 60 Seconds Every Day. You get a call once a day and record how your day went. You have get 60 seconds (I guess time limit gets you to the point fast!). Your call is transcribed and visible to you in a form of a short daily journal. This looks like a great idea to at least get you started. The basic (60 sec a day) plan costs $5.99. Would you try it? Do you have any great tips on how stick to the routine and do a daily “vent off”? What works for you? Let me know in the comments below!
