fbpx

Lyn Bailey – Life by Design

Category: Journaling

  • How to Make Your Journaling More Effective

    coffee, glasses, free wallpaper-7159137.jpg


    Any type of journal that you keep can be beneficial. It doesnít matter if itís just to document your life or to work through problems – you can use a journal to do it all. From tracking your projects to documenting vacation to overcoming anxiety, a journal will work for you if you pick the right type and make journaling a ritual.

    * Find the Right Medium for You ñ For some people, thatís pen and paper. Many experts claim thatís the best way because of its simplicity. However, you have to do what works for you, and what works for you is what you will do daily. If you make it too hard, you wonít do it.

    * Turn Journaling Daily into a Habit ñ To be most effective, journaling has to go on for a long time. Itís a long-term strategy to How to Make Your Journaling More Effective


    Any type of journal that you keep can be beneficial. It doesnít matter if itís just to document your life or to work through problems – you can use a journal to do it all. From tracking your projects to documenting vacation to overcoming anxiety, a journal will work for you if you pick the right type and make journaling a ritual.

    * Find the Right Medium for You ñ For some people, thatís pen and paper. Many experts claim thatís the best way because of its simplicity. However, you have to do what works for you, and what works for you is what you will do daily. If you make it too hard, you wonít do it.

    * Turn Journaling Daily into a Habit ñ To be most effective, journaling has to go on for a long time. Itís a long-term strategy to improve your life and not something that is going to have any effect overnight. For this reason, ritualize your journaling so that it becomes a daily habit.

    * Set Up a Comfy Journaling Spot ñ Find a good space you can journal in each day, one which is relaxing and without stress. Some people like to keep their journal by their bedside so that each night when they get into bed, they can quickly write in their journals.

    * Choose the Right Style of Journal for Your Needs ñ The type of journal you want to keep depends on how you plan to use it. You may want to track a project, in which case youíll need a project journal. If you want to simply document your life, youíd want a classic journal.

    * Use Your Journal to Work Through Life and Reach Goals ñ Donít just write in the journal; actively seek to improve something in your life – whether itís the thoughts which drive your feelings or improving your actions so that you experience more success.

    * Consider Using More Than Writing to Document Your Life ñ You donít need to just use text. You can use images, pictures, tickets, and other memories inside your journal too. Sometimes a few pictures and mementos mean more than anything you can write to help you remember.

    * Read and Reflect Occasionally ñ Take at least a few minutes to re-read parts of your journal. Once youíve kept it for a year, itís fun to go back and read the same day from last year to find out whatís different now and whatís the same and why.

    * Keep Your Journal Secure ñ You donít want to worry about anyone getting into your private business when youíre not around, so keep it hidden. If itís on your computer, keep it password protected.

    If you know why you want to journal, itíll be easier to figure out which type of journal you need to keep to make your journaling more effective. Sometimes you just want to document your life, while other times you want to work through something difficult. It really depends on your goals and the point of the journal.

     


    improve your life and not something that is going to have any effect overnight. For this reason, ritualize your journaling so that it becomes a daily habit.

    * Set Up a Comfy Journaling Spot ñ Find a good space you can journal in each day, one which is relaxing and without stress. Some people like to keep their journal by their bedside so that each night when they get into bed, they can quickly write in their journals.

    * Choose the Right Style of Journal for Your Needs ñ The type of journal you want to keep depends on how you plan to use it. You may want to track a project, in which case youíll need a project journal. If you want to simply document your life, youíd want a classic journal.

    * Use Your Journal to Work Through Life and Reach Goals ñ Donít just write in the journal; actively seek to improve something in your life – whether itís the thoughts which drive your feelings or improving your actions so that you experience more success.

    * Consider Using More Than Writing to Document Your Life ñ You donít need to just use text. You can use images, pictures, tickets, and other memories inside your journal too. Sometimes a few pictures and mementos mean more than anything you can write to help you remember.

    * Read and Reflect Occasionally ñ Take at least a few minutes to re-read parts of your journal. Once youíve kept it for a year, itís fun to go back and read the same day from last year to find out whatís different now and whatís the same and why.

    * Keep Your Journal Secure ñ You donít want to worry about anyone getting into your private business when youíre not around, so keep it hidden. If itís on your computer, keep it password protected.

    If you know why you want to journal, itíll be easier to figure out which type of journal you need to keep to make your journaling more effective. Sometimes you just want to document your life, while other times you want to work through something difficult. It really depends on your goals and the point of the journal.

     

    Click here
    Share this by clicking below:

  • How to Get Started Writing a Journal

    desk, smartphone, iphone-3076954.jpg


    Getting started journaling isnít something that you need to think about too hard. Yes, there are numerous types and styles of journals and ways to do this that may or may not be more effective depending on your goals, but you can simply get some paper (or your computer) and get started today.

    * Dust Off Your Pen and Paper ñ You donít need anything special to keep a journal; in fact, purists believe that using pen and paper is the best way to journal because you can carry it with you anywhere and you donít need technology. So, there will be no excuses.

    * Do It First Thing in the Morning ñ Donít procrastinate about keeping your journal. Itís best to do it in the morning before you begin your day so that you have the right frame of mind for the day. Plus, you only need five to ten minutes, so itís not that big of a deal.

    * Do It Last Thing at Night ñ Another time to do it is before bed. This works especially well for gratitude journals. That way you can go to sleep thinking about all the things you are grateful for instead of things youíre worried about.

    * Write Every Single Day ñ Whenever you choose to do it, try to set it up so that it becomes a ritual and a habit. Journaling every single day is going to be more effective than just doing it when you feel like it.

    * Start Simply ñ Donít start being worried about style and substance right now; just work on the daily habit with pen and paper (or if itís easier for you, a computer or smartphone). Donít make it hard – just get going.

    * Begin with Today ñ Start right now and write about your day today. Thatís the easiest thing to do. What of significance happened today? How did you feel about it? What would you do differently? What would you do the same?

    * Try Different Types of Journals ñ Once you develop the habit, you can start trying different types of journaling like a bullet journal, or a vision journal, or maybe even a project journal for your next project.

    * Keep It Private ñ The main thing to remember about your journal is that it should be kept private. The only exception is if you want to share thoughts with a therapist, counselor, or coach. Or if you want to turn it into a book or course, to help someone else overcome whatever you overcame.

    Keeping a journal will help you deal with the things that happen to you as well as the things that have not happened to you. The main reason is that writing it down helps you remember what you did right and what you did wrong. It helps you improve your decision-making capacity for similar situations. The main thing is just to get started journaling in any way that works for you.

     

    Click here
    Share this by clicking below:

  • How Journaling Can Help with Mental Health Issues

    adult, diary, journal-1850177.jpg

    Keeping any type of journal will help with improving any mental health issues. However, if you really want to tackle a specific problem youíre having, it will help to determine the right type of journal to keep. Keeping a particular kind of journal may work best for your issue.

    * Boosts Your Mood ñ If you really want to boost your mood, keeping a gratitude journal is where itís at. All you have to do is once a day, preferably before bed, write down what youíre grateful for today. It might not seem like much but itís very powerful for going to sleep, thinking positively about your life.

    * Increases Your Sense of Well-Being ñ As you write out your thoughts, youíll start seeing issues from a new angle just because youíre opening your mind to think about it. This is going to make you feel more capable of dealing with whatever happens.

    * Lessens Symptoms of Depression ñ Understand that depression is something different from sadness, and that you likely need a counselor. Writing it all down can make it seem less horrific so that you can feel better. Plus, you can look back at days you thought life was “over” and see better days after.

    * Reduces Anxiety ñ The problem with anxiety is that it was designed to help us get away from immediate danger. It triggers the “fight or flight” response. If each time you have that anxious feeling you choose to write in your journal how you are feeling and why, youíll start to control it better.

    * Lowers Avoidance Behaviors ñ Many people who have mental health issues practice avoidance behaviors such as not going to places that cause them anxiety, or not doing the things they need to do due to how they feel. When you write it out, it helps you get the feelings out but do the thing anyway.

    * Youíll Sleep Better ñ Pouring your heart out into a journal is a great way to get things off your chest. However, for sleep, go to the gratitude journal and write down what youíre thankful for today and go to sleep thinking of that.

    * Makes You a Kinder Person ñ Exploring your own emotional state and accepting your own feelings while you work through what makes you who you are in your journal is going to make you naturally more empathetic to others too. Letting go of judgment for self improves your thoughts for others also.

    * Improves Your Memory ñ This is almost a situation where you want to say “duh” but it has to be said. Writing down things helps you remember them because you can go back and read it, but also because the act of writing something down enables you to recall it.

    One thing that can really help you make your journaling work is to learn how to keep one effectively. Make some journaling rules, do it every day to create a habit, and keep it private unless you decide to let your therapist see it or you decide to use it to help others. This is for you and only you for the most part.

    Click here for your FREE Gratitude Mini Journal
    Share this by clicking below:

  • How Journaling Can Help with Achieving Your Goals

    Journaling can help you achieve your goals because it will force you to think about them, consider the why and how, and delve deeper into the situation so that you can examine all sides of it. Read on to find out how journaling can help.

    * It Forces You to Write Down Your Goals ñ When you start a journal, it basically is a way to force yourself to document your goals. Whether you write them down on paper or you use technology to get it all down doesnít matter. Once theyíre written, they are ready to tackle.

    * It Makes You Consider Why and How ñ As you enter data into your journal, youíll be forced to face the why and how of your goal. This is especially true if you write down a goal and focus on it in your journal. 

    * It Enables You to Examine the Opportunities and Threats ñ When you are focused on goal making with your journal, youíll also explore opportunities and threats coming your way due to your goals. It helps you avoid roadblocks in advance. 

    * It Makes You Develop Steps for Success Based on Your Goals ñ When you see it written down, youíll want to notice and pull out any steps youíve developed in your journal and put them in your calendar for scheduling. 

    * It Helps You Improve Goal Setting and Achievement ñ Each time you intentionally set goals, define steps to achieve the goals, and perform them, you are setting yourself up for being able to improve your skills. 

    * It Provides Accountability ñ Even if no one else is reading your journal, a private journal can help you become accountable to yourself. If you develop the habit of looking at your journal each day and put something else in there each day, itíll work great for helping you become more accountable. 

    * It Provides a Permanent Record ñ Having a permanent record of the things youíve done in your life, whether itís personal or work, is a beautiful thing. Hardly anyone has a perfect memory, so youíll maintain the lessons learned better with the record to look back at.

    * It May Be Inspirational ñ Depending on the journal, you might even be able to take the information inside and compile it into a real book for others to read to inspire them. You might also take from it steps for your success for a project and turn it into a course to inspire someone else.

    Journaling is an excellent way to work toward achieving all your goals. It will even help you make better goals because the process of entering facts in your journal will cause you to see them in a more logical way that is more useful.

    Click here for FREE Mini Gratitude Journal
    Share this by clicking below: