5 Things Journaling Taught Me
I’ve had a pretty consistent journaling habit since 2017. I’m referring to the practice stoic philosophers and titans of business and entertainment swear by, whereby you put on paper what’s inside your mind and heart.
This is what it taught me:
I can be my own life coach. Journaling helps me work through all of life’s challenges. It puts some distance between me and my issues and helps me get a different perspective on them when they are on the page, not in my head. My journal is my little corner of the world where I can rant on and on, play the victim without repercussions, and then shift to a more productive mindset and solve my problems—all within the same session.
I don’t need to repeat unproductive patterns. Seeing my issues in writing helps me reflect on them and recognize when I’ve seen a similar issue before—a certain behavior, emotion, response from others, etc. Instead of stewing over an issue for a bit and moving on, reflection through journaling makes me a lot more likely to recognize when I’m stuck in some unproductive rut or identify an energy vampire in my life (thankfully those are nonexistent at this point).
I make more progress than I give myself credit for. Not everyone rereads their old journals, but I did this past year as I was writing my courses, and it was interesting to see my growth over time. I felt so sorry for the woman I was a few years ago that I wanted to give her a hug. Even when I’m not yet where I want to be, being able to see where I was and how far I’ve come gives me the push to keep going. Even if you can’t measure your progress in tangible terms, your growth in terms of mindset and wisdom can be astounding and encouraging. And if that’s not your experience, perhaps seeing that you’re stuck in the same place for too long can give you the motivation to make some changes.
There is a wise sage inside me that has all the answers. That voice sees a bigger and better version of me and helps me become that version over time. In the normal course of my life, the sage is overridden by my mind, which is busy amplifying all my fears and shortcomings (”What if it doesn’t work? What will they think? I’m not good enough!”). A certain journaling technique allows me to shut the fearful mind down and access the wiser voice that takes for granted that I’m worthy and capable, and goes from there. When I take the time to listen and follow its advice, this voice always guides me to the right next step for me.
Asking myself hard questions leads to a more fulfilled life. I’ve been a self-development buff ever since I quit my job in 2017 and started to look for a more meaningful career. I was learning new concepts from an endless number of books, podcasts, videos, blogs, and coaches, and using journaling to figure out how to apply them to my life. It was easier to be honest with myself when my journal was the only witness and judge. Over time, the insights I got from those sessions led to a depth of meaning I've never experienced before.
You don’t need to spend hours journaling. You can start with 10 minutes when something is on your mind, and develop the habit over time. Take a problem you’re grappling with and journal on it—it’s totally fine to start with, “I don’t know what to write, this is stupid.” Freewrite until you can’t write anymore, and see what happens.
After years of testing various flavors of journaling, I realized that there are no bad journaling sessions, but there certainly are ways to make sessions more productive, so I spend less time staring at a blank page and get better outcomes. I’ve consolidated them in my course, “Not Your Dear Diary”. It includes best practices to make even a 5-minute journaling session highly impactful, as well as 70+ journaling prompts to help you work through difficult situations and relationships, and better understand yourself, your feelings, and your fears.
Journaling changed my life. Will you let it do the same for you?
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