Keeping a Journal
Tags: Philosophy, Journaling, Lifestyle, Self Improvement, Individualism

This is not something that most people would think of a lifestyle activity, but it is in fact one of the most important lifestyle activities one can undertake and master. There is always the thought that “journaling takes too much time” or “I don’t see the benefit in writing down what I already know” but these ideas are missing the point of journaling. A journal helps organize your mind and prioritize your time which ends up saving time in the long run but most importantly, it gives you time to set aside for what YOU want to accomplish. There is plenty of evidence to support a journaling habit so I won’t labor the point much further, instead I will explore my style of journaling and what works for me. Even with guidance, journaling is still an activity that you will need to mold for yourself and your life situation so don’t be afraid to experiment and try out other ideas that might work best for you.

First and foremost is deciding WHEN you will be journaling and based off those time frames then deciding WHAT to journal. My style is to keep Monthly, Weekly and Daily Journals to varying degrees of detail with the daily journal being the most granular.

Starting with the Monthly Journal, I believe in two key points. The first being a simple calendar of events. I don’t break out of every meeting or days of work but instead I reserve this for larger events such as travel, holidays, birthdays, etc. This identifies any possible pressure points that may pop up in the coming month and allows me to plan accordingly. Second is the writing down of goals in major categories. I use six categories in all of my journaling: Physical, Personal, Professional, Family, Social, and an Other as a catch-all for anything else. I keep these goals high-level for instance “average three workouts a week” or “read four books” and then drive into more detail on the shorter time frame journals.

Moving on to my Weekly Journal I always make sure to do this on a Sunday. For me, Sundays are not a workday and typically my least-busy day so I can dedicate more time to this journal. This is the journal that is the most important to my journaling practice. I start with a review of the prior week going over what went well and what didn’t from the goals I set out the week before. I will then write down any additional thoughts I have or ideas on how to improve. I will then write out a few of the top goals and priorities for the week ahead and then elaborate into a “weekly plan” that is a short narrative version of how I want the week to go. Sometimes I break this down with due dates for some activities, other times it is more free flowing with just words of guidance to remind myself of during the week. Then, as with the Monthly Journal, I will write down goals for the six categories I mentioned in the Monthly Journal.

Finally, the Daily Journal which I recommend completing first thing in the morning before the day starts. This is where a journaling practice can break down if you allow yourself to procrastinate on the start of the daily journal. The day will start and pressure from kids, work, or other life events will distract you and before you know it, your habit of daily journaling is gone. Don’t let yourself procrastinate and do your journaling first thing. I start with writing down my daily goals and my top priority for the day. I will then add a few notes and ideas on how to best accomplish these or any other ideas I want to remember throughout the day. I will then plan my day out in 15–30-minute intervals for meetings or other time I want to specifically set aside. This is where I find myself adding in time for myself and my own self-improvement. When I schedule it in like this, I can plan my day around it and make sure to take that time out of my day. Finally, I will then write a short review of the day and my accomplishments, typically right before bed or sometimes the next morning when I start journaling for the new day.

Now that this habit has been engraved into my life, I have seen incredible improvements. I plan on sharing some my (and others) advancements in future posts but want to leave this as just a post on my journaling practices and hopefully they can help you in your journaling.

There is a journal out there you can buy that fits the above techniques perfectly and that is the Daily Planner by Power Place but it is not a necessary purchase if you are able to stay organized on your own. I also want to add that this is not a sponsored post, but I do find their planner to be extremely helpful so I feel this is an honest recommendation.

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