There is a quote by Anthony Robbins “A life worth living is a life worth recording”.  I sometimes like to go back and read my journal entries to see how I progressed with my career, training, and other aspects of my life but also to reflect on significant events that occurred in my life and how it’s helped me grow as a person.  You’re probably thinking to yourself, how am I going to schedule more time into my busy schedule to start journaling?  Well, there are many benefits to having a journal especially when it comes to improving your overall health

Learn about yourself

First of all, when you start writing down your thoughts on paper, it’s amazing how the words just flow out of you.  If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, when you write down your feelings and to start to let out the negative, you will finish more relaxed than when you first started writing.  You can re-direct your life in a positive manner by shifting your focus to achieve anything you want.

Many times we don’t have the support to help us in our efforts to lose weight, workout, or get healthier.  Think of journaling as a way of listening to your own thoughts.  When you write them down and then read it out loud, you will be surprised as to what you read back to yourself. 

Goal setting

If you are new to journaling, the thoughts you write down will become less of daily events and eventually turn into thoughts, goals, struggles, and ideas. As we evolve and grow, so does our writing and thoughts. When I first starting journaling, I would write several pages of events that happened during the day.  Now I focus on what I want to achieve and how to get there. 

Keeping track of your goals through journal writing is such a powerful instrument as it helps us monitor our progress of our goals.  For instance, when I’m training for a running race, I like to track my thoughts and progress so I can use it for future use.  After completing a goal, I like to re-visit how I worked through a particular training session so I can use the same tools and tricks for future use.  Sometimes, you get into a slump in your current training program and require some instant motivation, so it’s nice to reflect to see how you dealt with it in the past. Remember the body achieves what the mind believes

Be Grateful for the Small Stuff

Things that I consider to be small and grateful for are things that others wish they had.  For instance, the other day I wrote in my journal that I was happy that I have the opportunity to have an organic vegetable garden in my backyard where I can give away organic foods to family and friends, or, I am grateful for having wood to heat my home when there are people in this world who are homeless.  There is always someone out there who is a lot worse off than we are.

There is a small bush that is located right outside my office window and every spring, a bird comes to build its nest there.  I hear the chirping noises of the baby birds every morning when the mother bird leaves the nest to get food.  It’s music to my ears.  I love the simplicity of it all.

Problem Solving

We all get stuck with having problems and trying to overcome them.  When you set your goals, also write down the obstacles you are faced in achieving them such as finding time in your day to work out or staying motivated to eat healthier foods.  Whatever the problem is, the mind will find a way to solve the issue at hand.  This also helps reduce your stress level as you will eventually pinpoint what is holding you back from achieving your goals and dreams.

 Tips on Getting Started:

 1.      Decide on what you want to record in your journal.  Do you want to focus on your weight?  What about training for your first race?  Don’t like your body and want to change it but you don’t know how?  Do you want to eat healthier? It can be any of these things or all of them.  It’s your journal so what you write down and keep track of is not limited to one thing.

2.      Buy yourself a new journal.  You DESERVE IT! You don’t have to spend a lot of money but think of it as the most important book you have, your book of thoughts.  No one gets to read this journal except for you. While you’re at it, buy a nice pen.

3.      Find a place to write that is quiet and you will experience no interruptions.  I use my office space when I can close my door, sit down, and write with no one interrupting me.  This is YOUR TIME, so set limitations where your partner or family members can’t bother you.

4.      BE HONEST!  No one is critiquing your writing or your thoughts.  This is the one thing you have in your life where you can be completely honest with yourself and no one can judge you. 

5.      ENJOY WRITING.  I’m not a writer and I don’t pretend to be.  You don’t have to write for hours upon hours in your day.  If you feel like writing for 5 minutes one day, than do that.  If you have lots to say, than write for as long as you want.  Every day will be different.  Enjoy the process of learning about yourself.