Journaling
Achieving your Goals through Journaling
Journaling can help you achieve your goals because when you put something in writing, you are more conscious it. Don’t worry about having the how to get there mapped out yet, but by deciding what you want you will be more likely to work towards achievement of your goal. There are many reasons to keep a journal but goal tracking is a great one. Read on to find out how journaling can help achieve your goals.
First, it for
ces you to make a decision, what do you want? When you start a journal, it is basically a way to document your goals, keep track of your progress and any steps you are taking towards your goal. Whether you write them down on paper or you use technology to get it all down doesn’t matter. Once they’re written, they are ready to tackle. That first critical step is thinking and deciding what your goals are.
Next, be specific, many people make goals that are too broad. For example don’t make your goal to get into shape. Make your goal specific and measurable. Instead, make your goal something like I want to eat healthier, exercise 3 times a week and lose 10 pounds. Now you have a definitive goal you can measure and track.
Make a stretch goal. We often start off with a small goal we know we can achieve. We often work harder to achieve a more difficult to attain goal. So think about what you want but make the goal a little larger than you think you can get to easily. For example maybe say you want to lose 20 vs 10 lbs. After all you’ll be happy with 10 but how would you feel if you made it to 20? or if it isn’t weight maybe you want a specific BMI score or pounds to lift.
It makes you consider why and how – as you enter data into your journal, you’ll see your progress or lack of and it will allow you to make changes as you go. Maybe you don’t make progress for a few weeks, sometimes life just happens but then the documentation will get you back on track faster. If you have chosen a goal that is important to you thinking about it every time you journal will hold you more accountable to yourself. This alone will maximize your chances of success.
When you are focused on goal making with your journal, you’ll also be looking to explore opportunities and potential issues coming your way due to your goals. This helps you avoid roadblocks in advance. Going on vacation? Make a plan to stay on track. Maybe you get up early or take and after dinner walk and bring healthy snacks.
By making yourself accountable you can create daily or weekly goals more easily. When you see your goal written down, you’ll be more apt to put appropriate steps you’ve developed in your journal and put them in your calendar for scheduling.
Journaling helps you improve goal setting and achievement – each time you intentionally set goals, define steps to achieve the goals, and perform them, you are setting yourself up for success.
It provides a record. Having a permanent record of the things you’ve done in your life, whether it’s personal or work, is a beautiful thing. Hardly anyone has a perfect memory, so you’ll maintain the lessons learned better with the record to look back at.
It can be potentially inspirational, depending on the journal, you might even be able to take the information inside and compile it into a real book for others to read to inspire them. You might also take from it steps for your success for a project and turn it into a course to inspire someone else.
Do something great and set your first goal as maintaining a journal for the next year.
Journaling
Photo Journaling Documenting Your Memories
Photo Journaling documenting your memories
As a scrapbooking my journaling tends to include a lot of photos. I started to keep a journal specific to the Covid 19 Pandemic. I thought it would be a great way to document what was happening, after all this is an historic, unprecedented event. I had several of these blank travelers notebooks which are about 4.25”x8.25” on each page and decided it was the right size for my creation. Tiny photos? Yup I print the images I want as a 4×6” collage photo and cut them out. It’s very economical.
Below are images from my actual journal. I have just completed all of 2020 and ended up filling up 4 of these travelers’ notebooks. If you google travelers notebooks on Pinterest there are tons if idea. What did I include in mine?
Things like doing things like walking on the empty beaches of Cape Cod visiting my family. We had been quarantining on both sides.
What books I read. I have several pages like this and include things like shows everyone was talking about and watching. I admit I did a lot of reading. Some of it was on audio as I walked. I was working from home full time and started using my normal commuting time to walk.
Another favorite journal find for me was full sheet sticker paper. I used it to print the book covers and also to print funny memes. I would print one full sheet which I made up in a word document and a few weeks of photos and do a couple weeks at a time from my calendar list of what happened when.
I journaled the challenge of trying to home school kids while working from home. This was the ultimate challenge for working mom’s in 2020. My daughter was in high school so she handles most of that herself but had some challenging health issues which entailed 4 surgeries in 2020 so it wasn’t without its challenges. I admit Bake Shop was my favorite class and the lab on cinnamon buns tasted great.
Trying to do fun things with friends during a pandemic – what was safe – what wasn’t safe – wearing masks. Cancelling a scrapbooking weekend which is something we had never done before. I missed going out to eat, just running to the store to go shopping because I needed something and people in general.
Washi tape, small sticker letters and die cuts if you are a paper crafter of any kid you probably have plenty. If you don’t have any these are easily found in most craft stores, or even the craft supply section of Walmart or target.
Another thing I did was print out funny meme’s on sticker paper and add to the journal. I have several pages like these with full themes and others randomly placed. I am a Star Trek fan and there were plenty of those to choose from. Sadly not so much with Stargate SG-1.
Really the sky is the limit. I have other pages that are more hand written notes and journaling. Starting with the day they closed schools and the last day I was in the office for over a year. I have sticker sheets with peel and stick words (used above).
I’d love to hear what you did to journal through the pandemic. Now that I have done this, I plan to continue with fun things I do with my friends and family going forward.
Gratitude
How to Start a Gratitude Journal You Can Stick With
Creating a journaling routine can seem challenging at first if you have never done it before. Essentially you have to carve out a few min every day to sit and journal. There are a few guidelines though that can make it easier to create a habit.
1) Pick a time that tends to be your quiet time of the day. If mornings are busy getting off to work and getting kids off to school, trying to add journaling in then will never work. Maybe you carve out a few quiet moments at lunch or before dinner. For me my quiet time is in the evening before bed. I like to read and have some quiet moments. This is the best time for me to do my gratitude journaling.
2) Find a journal book style and pen you really like. There are lots of sizes to choose from. If you want to be able to take it on the go, get something small enough to fit in your purse. A bigger size will work if you plan to leave it at home. Think about how you like to write – do you like lines, unlined, artwork? It may take a few attempts to really figure out what you prefer.
3) Make it a habit. It takes 21 days to create a habit. So make a commitment to yourself to spend 10-15 minutes a day on your journaling no matter what for the next month.
4) Be Flexible. If you try evening and you fall asleep instead of journaling, try a different time. Wish your journal had lines? Or artwork? You can draw in lines or add stickers to decorate it.
5) Expect the Unexpected. It may take a few attempts to really feel like you can make journaling stick.
6) If you already journal and just want to add gratitude journaling you can create a separate journal or just incorporate daily gratitude into your existing progress.
It’s ok to make mistakes, to try and try again to find what works. There is no right or wrong way to journal. The ultimate key is finding what works for you. If you stop for a while (sometimes life happens) it’s OK to pick up where you left off.
Journaling
Creating a Jar of Gratitude Prompts
My personal goal it so spend a few minutes every evening with my gratitude journal. Like many people there are challenging days that make it difficult to get started on those days I use some simple prompts help me get started.
To jump start my gratitude journaling I created a list of gratitude prompts. I keep mine in a small covered decorative box. When I am tired or feeling stressed looking at my list can help get me started.
As a family project – or for yourself, you can create a jar or box of gratitude prompts by writing out something you are grateful for or thought provoking questions about what you should be grateful for. This can be done on plain or decorative paper.
Some ideas to write on your prompts:
1. Who in my family am I grateful for?
2. Which of my friends am I grateful for?
3. What one thing about my home am I grateful for?
4. What freedom do I take for granted?
5. What book has inspired me?
6. I appreciate the following things about my job or work
7. The thing I love most about where I live is. . .
8. I am grateful for access to healthy and delicious food.
9. I am grateful for a positive aspect of today’s weather.
10. I’m grateful for ____which has taught me ________
11. One simple pleasure I value is
12. One of my most worthwhile purchases has been
13. One of my greatest life lessons.
14. Name one skill I have that makes me special
15. One thing I appreciate about myself is.
16. A few things I appreciate about mornings/evenings
17. One disappointment that turned out to be a blessing was?
18. One person I know I can count on is?
19. My favorite thing about coming home at the end of the day
20. One of the best things about being married/single/in a relationship
21. One piece of technology I am grateful for
22. One way I have bettered myself in the past month
23. One piece of advice or a quote that has stayed with me.
24. The best part of today was
25. Looking around me right now, I am grateful for
26. One thing I love about my daily schedule
27. One life hack I have picked up that makes my life easier
28. An everyday item that I depend on but rarely am grateful for
29. I wouldn’t be where I am today without this individuals help and support
30. How did I help someone today?
As a fun alternative write these on shaped paper. This would look especially nice in a clear glass or plastic jar.
Place your jar or box some place you will have easy access to it. Sometime it will just help to see your jar other times pull out one or two slips of paper to get your creative juices flowing.
Don’t get frustrated with yourself if you miss a day, or a week, life happens. Simply pick up where you left off.
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