Goal setting-Journaling life #1
Tags: Productivity, Habit Building, To Do List, Journaling, Notebook

If productivity is fixed somewhere on the top of your value list, journaling might be a great habit to implement to do better. There’s no more trustworthy way to see yourself more clearly. Make a profit on your ideas.

To be honest I’ve been journaling for quite a while, something like 5–6 years. I did not always do it for productivity, more to see my thoughts openly. If you are having some toughness in your mental health, then noting down your thoughts may do wonders for you too.

I used to note down thoughts to clear my worries, anxiety, and whatnot, along with daily to-do lists, which I call now a bit more friendlier way, ‘The daily list’. And I also have a ‘DID-IT monthly sheet, therefore I understand how much I’ve accomplished. You can also benefit from notes or find it a cool habit if you also suffer from low self-esteem or other.

//My journaling only became smarter and more profitable throughout the years, as I enjoy its meditative flow too.//

An exercise for beginners:

DAILY LIST

Requirements:

-5–10 minutes from your busy daily life

-Pen/Pencil

-Notebook

-Focus

Have 5–10 minutes by yourself, without distraction. I mean don’t have youtube open, and don’t check IG meanwhile. So simple; just have a pen, a notebook, and your focus, that’s all.

As I noted before, the ‘daily list’ is my fancy called to-do list.

Take your project, or take that day, and write down all the tasks you want to accomplish.

PRIORITIZE

Make sure to note the most important, or most urgent thing, and start with that. It will roll your day along if you accomplish the most difficult or priority task on your list.

DON’T OVERPROMISE

This is not simple. It depends on you and how honest you are with yourself about your time. It’s also good to underpromise with your time, rather than underdeliver. You will feel more productive, you will be more productive, and you will feel better about yourself.

Have a basic understanding of how much each task could take for you. Do you want to write an article? Good! If it usually takes you two hours then don’t think you can finish it in 35 minutes this time. It’s only logical.

BE SPECIFIC

This one is the liquid gold in your pen. Use it well. Give yourself specific tasks. You might think ‘Write an article’ is a clear idea on a task, but is it? Think, what else are you responsible for then you simply note the ‘Write an article’ entry?

I mean you will have to have:

1, Topic

2, Outline

3, Research if needed

4, Title

5, Picture

6, The article itself

So one task ‘Write an article’ actually six tasks!

It might not be in the same order for you, and you might not spend much time on the title, and have another way to work on an article. Just follow your way!

When you are specific, you have less space for error; error with your time, with your daily list.

MOVE TO THE NEXT DAY

I usually write down a couple of tasks at night for the next day. I also review them in the morning, plus adding what else has to be done. I cal also add more things along the day, if any.

Move to the next day, is a method, which means moving the unfinished tasks for the next day. Simply move these to the top of the new Daily-List. (At least if it’s a priority, it should be somewhere on the top of the list if you are already moving it from one day to another…) That feeling when you finally finish the duty you’ve been moving around for a while; like my so long-suffering; cleaning my inbox, will boost your productivity.

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PRETTY

‘My handwriting is ugly!’

‘My pen doesn’t feel right!’

‘I just have to buy a new notebook to start this ‘new’ lifestyle.’

Sounds like BS to you too right? Yeah, well we all got excuses. If you want to do it, you will. Just start with what you have, everything else will come!