Earlier this month, Chris Vasiliadis, a certified wellness coach from Priority Wellness interviewed me on Blog Talk Radio. She broadcasts the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month from 6 to 7 pm, and that evening’s topic was “The Write Way to Wellness.” This post is adapted from our interview and is a follow-up to “Journaling Can Bring What You Want Into Your Life”
As I’ve mentioned, there’s something about journaling that seems to bring what you need into your life. I can’t explain it scientifically – maybe it’s a little bit of magic, mystery and metaphysics (that’s a science, isn’t it?) – but when you focus your energy on an issue and get clear on what you want, and put it down in writing, you set yourself on a path to get it.
As “touchy-feely” as that may sound, the truth is that journaling has very practical applications. The process of journaling gives us clarity on what we really want in our lives when it comes to money, sales/selling, relationships, career, health, and yes, most importantly, our Self. In order to get that clarity and move toward those goals, we have to get real with ourselves, do a lot of journaling and sort through the barriers holding us back, like fear and negative self-talk and thoughts. Once we do that, we realize that all of the answers, the strengths, the abilities, and the courage to make change, are inside of us.
Here are five ways to use your journal to clarify what you want and start manifesting it in your life.
1. ASK YOUR JOURNAL.
Sitting down and writing a question in your journal is something you can do anytime. Oftentimes we have no clue about the answer until we do some journaling, and then we walk away and seemingly out of nowhere, we find ourselves saying, “Ahh, OK, that’s what’s going on! That’s why I’m not getting…! Then you return to your journal to figure out together what to do next.
For example, I work with a couple of people who are unemployed. When they lost their jobs, they began to ask themselves, “What am I going to do now?” And then after lots of journaling, the questions became more positive, more self-aware like, “What kind of work do I want to do? “What are my loves?” “What am I really good at?” And even “Hmm…how do I start my own business?”
2. WRITE “NIGHT NOTES”.
One of my clients, Ann, said that her biggest challenge was to get enough sleep. She was almost to the point where she feared going to bed because she didn’t know how to turn her brain off. She was starting to think, “If I don’t start getting a good night’s sleep, I’m going to have to see my doctor and get a prescription for something.” Instead, Ann started journaling in the evenings, doing what I call “night notes,” writing down whatever she felt, just dumping out stuff from the day, giving a message to her brain that it was time to shut down because her body needed time to heal. After a couple of weeks, Ann found that making a habit of journaling before bed had really helped her sleep better and be rested enough to work on her future. She was surprised, and very pleased, especially when she didn’t need any drugs!
3. CHANGE “I CAN'T” to “HOW CAN I?”
Our journal is a place to change the way we talk to ourselves, to make it less critical and more encouraging. One of the fans on my Facebook page wrote, “I should be journaling,” and I replied, “Maybe you want to think in terms of saying, ‘What are my goals?” Rather than telling yourself, “I should …” for example, say instead, “I would really like to be able to…” or “How do I … Be more positive, and you’ll find yourself excited to work towards your goals.
4. WRITE A STRONGLY WORDED LETTER.
Write a letter to someone or something that is driving you crazy. Afterward, you can wad it up and throw it in the trash. Just releasing that negative energy will help you feel calmer and reconnect with your positive, healthy energy.
5. PICK A PROMPT, ANY PROMPT.
On my website under Journaling Tips, there are around 50 prompts you can use in your journal. One suggests picking a song that’s been in your head for a time and just sitting down and write the lyrics to the song. That simple exercise, or any of the others, will kick start your journaling, and get you through your self-imposed barriers.
Journaling helps you reduce stress, fears, and deal with inner crazy characters so you can get back to your wise center and resume envisioning, creating and working towards your goals.
How do you use journaling to get what you really want?
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