Isn’t it nice to learn that such a simple task as writing can change your life for the better? This does not mean writing a novel or authoring a best-seller but just the act of scribbling down the day-to-day events of in your life.
For one thing, writing down an appointment in your desk calendar helps you to remember the date better than if you dictate it on your recorder or use your electronic calendar to record it. However, besides improving your memory, writing also does the following for you:
Writing provides more space in your brain for more important matters. One way to do this is to make a “to-do” list. Write down all the tasks you can think of that you should do for the day, from the very mundane task of putting out the trash to the more complex ones like the project you are working on. This unburdens your head of remembering so many things. Prioritize the tasks in the list. Then, consult your “to-do” list every now and then. Tick off those tasks you have accomplished. This method prepares your mind for the day’s most important matters that require more thinking.
Writing helps in analyzing your emotions. Keeping these feelings in your head and trying to sort them out mentally is very confusing. It is difficult to wrestle with intangible things. Putting these emotions in writing makes them real and puts them within your grasp. List down the pros and cons of the issue and physically compare their merits.
Writing provides you
a hard copy of the past. This is a good reference to look back to in case similar situations come up in the future. It refreshes you of the lessons you learned and how you can apply them in your present situation. It boosts your confidence that you are prepared to overcome the setback like you successfully did in the past based on your recorded history.
Writing reminds you to be grateful. All the good things that come your way, the persons who assist you, the circumstances that pave the way for your success, all these are recorded in your journal and remained etched in your mind for very long time. Being reminded of them in writing makes you feel grateful. Gratitude is a vital part of success.
Writing gives you a sense of achievement. It records your progress and makes it easy to physically gauge your improvement (or lack of it). Daily or frequent monitoring of your activities motivates you to move on. Your written record of every small success you gain in the course of your work gives you a sense of achievement and builds up your self-confidence.
Writing expands your outlook. It makes you aware of so many possibilities for you. Your self-limiting beliefs are diminished and help you achieve more. When you write things down, you are given the opportunity to harbour dreams and ambitions that you are not ready yet to share to others. It the mean time, you can keep track of your written ideas for future reference.
Perhaps, writing or keeping a journal may seem to be unexciting. However, considering the benefits that can be derived from this mundane task in changing your life, don’t you think it deserves your serious appreciation?
10 Ways Journaling Can Improve Your Life
Journaling on a regular basis provides many benefits. Check out the top reasons why you should start journaling right away.
1. Journaling Helps You Reflect on Your Life
Life moves quickly. Journaling offers an opportunity to stop and reflect on everything in life. Reflecting can help ensure you’re doing what you need to do to stay satisfied with your life.
2. Journaling Encourages Gratitude
Use a journal to keep track of everything you’re thankful for each day. Making this a regular habit can help you to become more optimistic and can remind you to enjoy the little things in life each day.
3. Journaling Helps You Turn Dreams into Goals
When you start writing down your dreams, you’re more likely to establish a timeline of how to accomplish them. As soon as you establish a timeline and the steps you’re going to start taking, you’ve turned a dream into a goal. You’re much more likely to reach those dreams once you begin writing down action steps of what you’re going to do.
4. Journaling Allow You to Keep Track of Your Accomplishments
Writing down your accomplishments help you keep track of the success you’ve had in life. Reviewing a list of accomplishments can be very helpful when you are considering whether or not to take another risk. Remembering all those times when you’re hard work has paid off can give you the extra push you need to ask your boss for a raise or ask someone out on a date.
5. Journaling Provides an Emotional Outlet
A lot of people don’t feel comfortable talking about their feelings out loud. Journaling can provide an emotional outlet. Labelling feelings and writing down how you feel without the fear of being judged by others can be very therapeutic.
6. Journaling Increases Problem-Solving Opportunities
Journaling helps you analyze your options when you’re looking for a solution to a problem. You can write down the pros and cons of each solution and really analyze which solution is likely to yield the best results. It can help you identify creative ways to solve problems and it can help you to feel more confident about your choices.
7. Journaling Reduces Stress
Journaling can help you reduce mental clutter and stress. Instead of feeling like you need to keep track of everything in your head, simply knowing that you’ll be journaling later can free up your mental energy to address other tasks.
Knowing you can write down your worries can also help reduce your anxiety. Rather than waste time during the other parts of the day worrying about something, remind yourself you’re journal about it later.
8. Journaling Will Let You Understand Yourself Better
Writing things down about your experiences, thoughts, and feelings can help you develop a much better understanding of yourself. Putting the pen to paper about what’s going on in your mind really helps lay out information about you.
Reading past entries can be helpful as well. It can provide you with a better understanding of how you were feeling when you made certain decisions in your life. You may understand why you made mistakes or avoided risks. It serves as a good reminder of how much progress you’ve made.
9. Journaling Helps You Live According to Your Values
Writing about your daily activities can really give you insight into where your time goes. If you say family is important but you notice you’re working much more than your participating in family activities, it can be an eye opening experience. A journal can keep you honest and can help you make changes to your life that are more in line with your value system.
10. Journaling Improves Your Relationships
Writing in a journal can be good for your relationships. Writing down angry thoughts instead of saying them out loud can prevent you from saying something you regret. Journaling can also help you look at the big picture, which can allow you to forgive and let small transgressions go.