Power of JournalingIf you’re like me, you’re probably your own worst critic, am I right?  And I that everyone is busy with all of their “stuff” every day.  So when I tell people about journaling, what do they normally say?

“I’m too busy.”  

Too busy doing what?  We can make time for emails, facebook, going out for drinks, and countless other activities.  But for some reason, we neglect important success habits.  I’ve realized that in order to be successful, the only thing we have control over are our OWN habits. Years ago when I began studying personal development, the one thing that kept coming up was that successful people are journaling.  Leaders like John Maxwell, Jim Rohn, Michael Hyatt, and many more. So if they were doing it, so should I.

But you know what was tough?  Consistency.  I felt like I forced myself to add just ONE MORE thing in my life.  I made this quick video to share with you how I broke those barriers, incorporated it into my life, and made it a powerful success habit.

Watch the video

 

Here’s are six tips on how you can apply journaling in your life.

1) Make the decision to DO IT FOR YOURSELF

Yah, that’s right, make it about you!  This applies to any change you want to make in your life.  You have to take control of your own decisions and start CHOOSING what you do every day, not what you HAVE to do.  Create that mental and spiritual freedom that your life is yours.  And it is okay not to do personal development!

2) Schedule ONE SECOND each day

You heard me.  One second.  You can do that right?  Last year I heard about a study that was done for people going back to the gym in the new year.  It was comparing those who set normal resolutions for the gym versus those who committed to one second per day.  And as you may know, I am not a fan of resolutions.  The one second people just had to go to the gym and go inside for at least one second.  After a month, only about 25% the people who had set regular gym resolutions were still going, but 75% of those one-seconders were still going and they were averaging 15 minutes per day.  After two months the regular group was down to about 10%, while the one-seconders were still at 66% attending and now averaging 30 minutes per day!

So take that lesson and apply it to any habit you try to build.  Just commit to the act of doing it every day and don’t force yourself to go crazy and do too much!  I am right now in the beginning of a 90 day, daily blogging journey and the only thing I have committed to is writing a few minutes a day.  Non-negotiable.  Just like my journaling.  Try the one second challenge for 30 days and see what happens.

3) Make it MEANINGFUL

Even if it is for one second a day, make it count.  When you create a success habit, ENJOY it.  Go into it fully and find deep meaning in your activity.  Don’t just go through the motions, but ask yourself tough questions, challenge yourself to dig deeper, and really seek out that strength.  You will find it.  What emotions do you want more of in your life?  What do you want less of?  Who are you grateful for?  What intentions will you set for the day?  Who will you be each day so that you can make an impact on others?  Get pumped up for this and you will reap the rewards!

I used my journal one day as a kind of personal coach before going into a big meeting.  I asked myself what intentions I wanted to set, what energy I wanted to project, the presence I wanted to create, and who I needed to be.  Then I wrote out how I would do that and how I wanted to make people feel.  Rocked the meeting, no problem!

[Tweet “Even if it is for one second a day, make it count.”]

4) Use a TEMPLATE

As I read in Michael Hyatt’s post, he uses a template to keep on track and not have to start by thinking, “What am I going to write about?”

I have some very amazing friends who published one of the COOLEST tools as well, called the “Five Minute Journal” and actually I showed you a video of Alex Ikonn yesterday.  

Very switched on guy and he and UJ Ramdas did a fabulous job creating a powerful tool that I recommend you pick up and start your habit today. Will make your journaling process so much easier.  I know some people that swear by this tool and I am excited to try it out! Check out their website as well. 

5) Remove DISTRACTIONS

To make the most of it,  find the best quiet place, that you can have as a sanctuary, and be consistent with your time and place. When I started journaling I did that, but also would bring my phone with me.  I found it too easy to stop writing and see what AWESOME thing someone posted on Facebook at 7 am.  Really?  I needed to stop my personal growth because my friend found an inspirational quote over a picture of a cat?  Soooo, now the phone doesn’t come with me.  I find my fifteen minutes, grab a coffee, sit beside my lamp and just let the journal action flow, baby!

6) Think LONG-TERM

As with any habit, you should be thinking about how this will affect you long term.  The question I was telling you about in the video was where I asked myself, “Do I even like journaling?”  Challenge yourself to look at your habits and imagine what your life in the future (four years) may be like if you had those habits in place.  Would they be a healthy part of your routine?

If you look at the leaders I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I know I admire them and would love to have their habits, so I have made a promise to myself to build this habit and see how it goes!  

I would love to hear your thoughts below on how you use journaling as part of your life.  If you liked the video, want to know the equipment I used, and how to do them yourself, I actually posted about that yesterday.  Check it out.

Joe Girard
Follow me!

    5 replies to "Power of Journaling: 6 Tips to Make it a Success Habit"

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.