Journal your way towards transformation

Journal your way towards transformation? Sounds a little strange doesn’t it? But guess what? It makes perfect sense. I’ll show you how to use the power of journaling to create positive change within your life, even if you only have 10 minutes to spare each day.

Have you tried to keep a diary or a journal, generally in the New Year, only to stop writing after the first week or two? Does it begin to feel like another job to do?

Did you keep a diary as a child? If so, I can bet you have had a little laugh to yourself as you read through the entries. You will have been looking through a window into the past full of memories.

The power of journaling

In my work with clients people ask me about journaling a lot. They wanted to know how to journal? When to journal? What is journaling? Could they learn how to journal? Why journal in the first place?

It was then (along with my huge passion) for writing journals and helping people, that I decided to create a journal based on many of the issues clients were working through. A journal/planner that would hold a person responsible and accountable for creating positive change and transformation within their lives.

Each day there are specific life changing questions and exercises to encourage taking action. Observing the results people are getting in their lives is so rewarding and satisfying.

Journaling brings a unique and different experience to every single person. We are all at different stages on our life journey therefore we will also have our own individual shifts and changes.

So how can you journal yourself towards transformation?

First of all you find a journal that resonates with you. One that you actually like. How does it feel? How does it look? You need to actually enjoy the look of your journal.

There are so many lovely ones out there. Remember to look on the inside of the journal as well as the outside. Is there a planner segment? A diary segment? Is it perpetual? What does it have that other journals don’t? Most of all does it speak to your heart?

Creating time

Once you have your journal, decide which time of day is best for you to commit some time to write. You may need to sacrifice time spent in other areas so that you can crete journalling time.

Disconnect to reconnect

If you enjoy meditation, then why not meditate before journalling. This allows you write in a more easy relaxed frame of mind. Rather than from the logical conscious mind.

As you write don’t start to get caught up with handwriting or grammar. This is a time for you to be able to express your thoughts, feelings, deep desires, goals, aspirations, and to work on yourself. Getting caught up in spelling and grammar will move your focus away from being calm and relaxed.

Reflecting

Before you open up your journal, reflect on where you are in your life. Can you think of any areas where you feel you need to create change physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually?

Write down how you feel about this situation. What are your emotions saying? How is it impacting your life? You will find that as you begin to answer these questions that the words will come easily and effortlessly.

Julia Cameron speaks a lot about unleashing creativity in her book The Artists Way. Highly recommended reading material.

When you have finished writing that part, ask yourself:

what can I do to change this?
what do I need to start to make changes?
how am I going to feel when I am where I want to be?
what is stopping me?
how can I overcome any perceived obstacles

Once again these questions will really get your thought juices flowing. You are already planting the seeds of change. How exciting is that?

Building a habit

As your journalling habit becomes a regular occurrence; start to look for patterns of behaviour, or negative beliefs, that you could improve and work on. Keeping a journal allows you to observe and notice when this happens.

One of the best things about keeping a journal is that no one is going to judge what you are writing. You can literally write whatever you want because the only person seeing your journal is you (hopefully). Over time you will also begin to notice what ignites your passion and therefore your potential.

As you reflect on your writings, you may also notice your strengths and weaknesses in life and decide to work on those. Ten minutes of journal writing can reveal a lot about you, and your life direction.

Work on your journal regularly

It may seem strange and unfamiliar to sit quietly and journal. Let that be okay. If you are really struggling to find a topic to write about, just pick a topic that evokes feelings within you and write about that. This helps you to build up your journalling practise.

Imagine reading the journals that you create now in ten years time. What an interesting way to see how far you have travelled in life. A great way to see how many goals and dreams have come true for you.

Motivation

Your journal is also a motivational tool. You may be recording your gym visits, or how many steps you are doing per day on your Fitbit. You may be recording which books you are reading and writing down meaningful paragraphs and quotes. Reading what you have achieved so far gives you the energy and motivation to keep going.

Why not start today with the following exercise:

Take a few minutes in the morning to write 5 things you are grateful for and why.