Journaling

Do you journal?

Is it something you do every day, once in a while, when you have an issue you need to work through?

Have you ever wondered why people including the likes of Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, and Sara Blakely would spend so much of their precious time writing things that will never be seen by another soul?

Because journaling is a process, not an end result. We journal to work through things, to remember things, to give validation to things for ourselves.

Researchers have found that regular journaling can be used to train our attention and strengthen neural pathways.

Reflective writing has also been shown to improve decision making and critical thinking.Journals have proven to be invaluable tools for examining past experiences, evaluating our own actions, and drawing insights for encountering future challenges.

According to Dr. James Pennebaker, an expert in the field of expressive writing, to get the best results from journaling, it was recommended that you:

  • Forget about grammar/spelling when you write.
  • Be honest and authentic (write like no one else is going to read it).
  • Write by hand for better memory recall.
  • Adopt cursive writing to get your thoughts out faster.


Another study from Yale University, found that what you write, you (are more likely to) achieve.

The group that had the most profound difference in having their goals come true were those who wrote their goals down and formed action commitments.

It was intensified even more if you sent your action plan to a friend and they gave them weekly progress reports.

I have an accountability partner that I check in with every weekday morning, we set our daily goals, write them down and then the next morning we check in to see that we accomplished them. It is a constant reminder to me to complete my goals.

If you don’t journal or you want to make it more of your daily practice here are some tips to help.

  1. Instead of spending time on social media, take 10 of those minutes to journal.
  2. If you fear the blank page, use prompts.
  3. Give yourself permission to vent, and share a bit of you, on the page
  4. Try different writing techniques. Prompts, no prompts, telling a story, reciting your day, take a photo of something in your day and write about it, draw a picture and write about it.
  5. Set a time in your day, I personally prefer first thing in the morning, but you may prefer before bed, or maybe while waiting in the car for the kids after school. Pick a time that works for you.


Watch for upcoming classes on journaling, including daily prompts.

Have an Amazingly Creative Day,
Larissa

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