There’s one essential tool that no business person or creative professional should be without- and it’s so obvious that it often gets overlooked.
A daily, pen-to-paper, personal transformation journal will help you to manage your projects and business growth far better than any piece of software or mobile app- and that’s a scientific fact.
Exciting new research shows that writing by hand stimulates the regions of our brain involved in thinking, language and working memory (that’s the short-term memory we use when solving problems). Studies show that using a keyboard just doesn’t have the same effect as journal writing.
A regular writing session for a few minutes every day helps with information management and encourages us to find creative solutions to the challenges we face. In today’s culture of information overload, this skill is vitally important.
The sheer amount of written and visual data we have to process can be overwhelming- but we don’t have to sink beneath it. Journaling gives us the ability to prioritize and process the important issues. It helps us handle stress in a positive way so we can be physically and emotionally strong.
How to start a Journaling Power Practice
If you haven’t yet tried keeping a personal transformation journal for your artistic or business development, here are some tips to get started and to maximise the benefits:
- Aim to write for a few minutes every day at a time which suits your lifestyle.
- Give yourself permission to write anything you like in your journal, without censoring yourself or worrying about grammar and spelling. Those things don’t matter when you’re exploring and brain-storming. The less you worry about being perfect, the deeper you’ll go creatively. Journaling is all about expressive writing.
- Keep a slim line journal in your briefcase or handbag so that you can carry it everywhere and scribble your ideas down any time they pop into your head. At night, pop your notebook on your bedside table. Great revelations can strike any time of the day, even when you’re half asleep or taking a shower!
- Write a vision for your business or creative project. What are the end goals? Convert your vision into a five-year plan and set yourself some achievable and measurable, short-term goals. Then take a close look at every goal you’ve set. Ask yourself this question: “Why am I doing this?” and work out which goals are the most significant for you, personally.
- Hold yourself accountable in your journal for turning your plans into specific actions and carrying them out. Have you been making any excuses for not reaching your goals? As you keep journaling, you’ll be able to hone your vision and mission statement.
- Use your journal to review each day or week. Jot down the things you’ve accomplished, and the problems you’ve solved. Over a period of time this will boost your confidence. You’ll be able to look back and see how many problems you have overcome and how far you’ve travelled.
- Be flexible with your style of journaling. Use stream-of-consciousness writing to “dump” your mental clutter and reduce stress. Draw spider diagrams to analyse the components of a task, write checklists of things to do, and so on. You can also use your notebook like a scrapbook or a storyboard and stick cuttings and photos into it, or add your own illustrations.
- Get your unique story down on paper. A memorable narrative will help you engage with potential business partners, clients or customers.
- Be grateful for the progress you make. Record the things that went smoothly and the blessings that came your way. Cultivate an ‘attitude of gratitude’, because it has a definite link to success and happiness. Research shows that being thankful increases optimism and supports personal achievement..
How has Journaling advanced your professional life? Let us know in the comments below.
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