Journaling - An important tool for Leaders

Importance of Journaling

Two (2) additional recent articles I found from Jeffrey Ton and Aytekin Tank about the importance of journaling as a leader emphasize the benefits of reflection, greater self awareness, and personal / professional growth from the practice of journaling.  

Jeffrey Ton of Ton Enterprises, LLC published an article on his website in August 2020 and the article by Aytekin Tank CEO of Jotform was published on Entrepreneur.com (https://www.entrepreneur.com/) in December 2019.  Both credit journaling to their leadership success.

Aytekin’s article is titled, “How Journaling Can Make You a Better Entrepreneur and Leader”.  Aytekin goes as far as saying, “The most important words you write are ones no one will ever read.”  

In the article, Aytekin Tank highlights that reflection is important in leadership.  And journaling provided an outlet for Aytekin Tank to do just that.

Aytekin’s article states, “Research shows that people who engage in reflection are happier people and higher performers than those who do not. It makes sense. High performers and happy people learn from their mistakes.”  Journaling allows time to reflect on learnings and mistakes and to take actionable steps to grow and move forward.

Aytekin also suggests that journaling provides a creative outlet.  Journaling using freewriting, "cultivates consistency and creativity."

Aytekin Tank is the founder and CEO of JotForm, the easiest online form builder. JotForm was ranked in the 2016 Entrepreneur 360™ List, an annual ranking of the most entrepreneurial private companies in the U.S.

Jeffrey Ton is an author, speaker and led teams in the technology field as small as 5 and as large as 50.  

In the article posted on Jeffrey Ton’s website (https://jeffreyston.com/), the following is included, “Journaling has been a part of many successful leaders for centuries. The library is full of biographies and autobiographies of business leaders, government leaders, and thought leaders. The common thread, most kept some sort of record (uh, journal) of their thoughts, insights, and activities.” 

A journal is a powerful tool.  “Not only does it help you to keep track of details that would be lost to time, but it provides a way to learn from the past…your past. Part of the magic of keeping a journal is to re-read it, weeks, months, even years later. The magic? The lessons change! Why? The journal hasn’t changed…you have!”  

As Aytekin Tank mentions in his article, Jeffrey Ton states with great passion, “Keeping a journal is a great way to understand who you are and what you want and need from your career. I know I have written of this in prior posts…I just can’t emphasize the importance enough.”

Here are direct links to the articles if you are interested in reading them:

• Aytekin Tank’s article:    https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/343680
• Jeffrey Ton’s article:  https://jeffreyston.com/2020/08/04/leadership-thought-lets-do-coffee/

In summary, journaling is an important tool as a leader.  It helps develop clarity, enhanced intention, self awareness, and provides time for reflection for personal and professional growth.  Journaling also provides a creative outlet to enhance your thinking, breakthrough creative blocks, and to crystalize your purpose and vision.

(C) 2022-23 jspublishing.blogspot.com

Video on Journaling tips, tricks, and how to

 

Posting this video as it explains the tips, tricks, and pointers for getting stared and staying with journaling.

Leadership and Journaling

Do you want to be an Outstanding Leader?

This week I came across two articles on the importance of journaling as a leader.  

The first is an article on Skip Prichard’s website (skipprichard.com) titled, “Why Journaling Makes Better Leaders”.  

The second is from the Harvard Business Review titled, “Want to Be an Outstanding Leader? Keep a Journal” by Nancy Adler.  

The Harvard Business review article by Nancy Adler starts with the following statement, “Research has documented that outstanding leaders take time to reflect.  Their success depends on the ability to access their unique perspective and bring it to their decisions and sense-making every day.”

As leaders it is important for us to have the courage to share our unique perspective and use it for decision making and action taking.

Nancy Adler concludes her article simply with, “Using a journal regularly will give you the courage to see the world differently, to understand the world differently, and to lead in new and needed ways.”  

The article by Bruce Rhoades on skipprichard.com provides some powerful insight on how journaling helps improves leadership abilities.  

Bruce shares the following areas where he felt journaling improved his leadership abilities:

• Better Organization

• Improved Decision Making

• Improved Demeanor, Attitude, and Judgment

• Enhanced Intention

• Positive Reinforcement

The article goes into further details on each of the 5 areas specifically where journaling resulted in significant improvements.  

The areas of “Improved Demeanor, Attitude, and Judgment”, “Enhanced Intention”, and “Positive Reinforcement” are extremely important to be present and to be a servant leader to your people and in your organization.

   

So, start journaling today to be an outstanding leader, to have the “courage to see the world differently”, and to use your unique perspective to lead and make decisions with purpose and intention. 

Share your thoughts and unique perspective in the comments.

Journaling for Self Care

 Self Care and Journaling

Self care is about what our souls or inner selves need and then taking action to address those needs.  Journaling helps in self awareness and self discovery and brings about great scientific benefits.  A quick search on Google reveals the many benefits from journaling.  See the blog post Research on Journaling to find out more.  

Journaling is a form of self care that brings about greater self awareness and clarity of what you need and how you can take actions to improve your well-being and mental state.

We will explore the following topics:

1) How to journal for self care

2) Self Care Journaling ideas

Self care is very important.  And Self care journaling brings greater awareness of what may be holding you back and what you can do to cope with and deal with uncertainty and road blocks.  With greater awareness you can determine actions or steps to overcome obstacles and cope with challenges.

Greater self awareness and understanding brings about greater joy, helps you deal with causes of stress, and what you can do to create the life you want rather than a life you are just going through the motions.

Usually our inner selves are struggling with emotions that we fail to process or are not sure how to address.

How to journal for Self Care

Our emotions or feelings become less scary and overwhelming when we are able to talk about them.  Self Care journaling allows you to get your feeling and emotions out on paper so you can process them and write them down.  

Self care journaling allows you to clear your mind and not be weighted down by your feelings and thoughts.

Keeping Track

It is important to keep track of your moods and fluctuation in your moods.  When you have anxious moments it is helpful to describe the experience and what you did to manage the moment.

Ways to Journal for Self Care

1)  Keep a Self Care routine - stick to a ritual

Carve out time during your day (5 - 20 minutes).  Make your journal routine more relaxing to increase the self care quality of it.  Maybe have a cup of coffee, listen to relaxing music, and focus on self care journaling.  Clear out distractions and clear your mind.

2) Let go of your feelings - Be liberated from your emotions

The whole point of Self Care journaling is to let out your bottled up emotions and to be liberated from them.

Be honest with yourself when you are writing in your journal.  Allow your time journaling to process any lingering or unaddressed feelings or issues.  Don't judge your feelings.  Feelings are feelings.  They are neither right or wrong.  It is important to understand your feelings and what may have triggered your feelings.

Being true to where you are at both mentally and emotionally is a key to successful self care journaling.

If you are not sure how to begin you can use the 50 best journaling prompts or you can start with a event that recently impacted you.  Describe your feelings of the event that affected you.  Be it positive, negative, or neutral be honest about your feelings and write from the heart.  Release your feelings and let your guard down.

3) Processing time is required  

It is important to allow time to process your feelings and emotions.  Self care journaling should allow you to separate yourself from your emotions and feelings thus freeing you from them.  

When self care journaling, make sure to spend time in self discovery.  Self discovery of what your capable of and your strengths in managing situations.  Ask yourself questions that help you find or determine solutions or actions you can take.

Questions such as:

1) Why am I feeling this way?  What triggered this feeling?

2) Is there a real threat or am I just anxious or am I uncomfortable about a situation or the company that I am around?

3) What is the best way to respond that won't hurt me further?

4) What do I need to do to move forward?

Allowing time to process our feelings, helps open our path ways and clear our minds.  In processing our feelings, we are able to turn something negative or something that is bringing us down into a positive.  Self Care journaling should also focus on how to move forward from our current situations or feelings.  The journaling should reveal actionable steps to move forward to a better path.

4) Try Guided Journaling or try using journaling prompts

Try the 50 Best Journaling prompts or guided journaling techniques.  If you do a little research you can find journaling prompts (questions) or journal books that are structured and maybe suited to your personality.  

There are plenty of guided journaling resources out there that maybe helpful for getting started with self care journaling.

5) Gratitude is Key

Self Care journaling is a great way to allow gratitude into our daily lives.  By being mindful of the little blessings that happen every day that we normally look past will bring you joy.  Keeping a gratitude list of kind acts, spontaneous joys, or little blessings will have a profound impact on your mental focus.  

List all the people, places, situations, and things you are grateful for in your journal.  For example, I am grateful for my kids, for my neighbor that stopped by to say hi, for my mom who sat and listened to a problem I was having.

Keeping a daily gratitude list helps you realize how blessed your life is no matter what difficulty or challenge life throws your way.

Write down one or a few things you are grateful for each day.  This will help you realize how truly blessed and loved you truly are.

6) No Editor Allowed

Journaling and Self care journaling are about free form writing.  Let your feelings and thoughts spill freely on the paper.  Don't worry about grammar, spelling, or if it looks good.  As long as you can understand it then that is all that is needed.

So, allow your thoughts and feelings to flow freely on paper and clear your mind.  Allow journaling to help you process and get your emotions, feelings, and thoughts out from your inner self so you can figure out how to manage situations and take actionable steps to deal with the situation with integrity, guided by your value, and realize how truly blessed you are with the daily gratitude list.

In Summary

Self care journaling is a healing process.  Allowing your thoughts, feelings, worries, and struggles to flow freely on paper allows you time to process and think through your situations.  Journaling brings about greater clarity, self discovery, and more awareness of actionable steps you can take to cope and manage difficulties life may throw at you.

Journaling allows you greater awareness of the people, things, and situations you are grateful and allows you to deal with the struggles with greater understanding of your feelings, and choices in dealing with them.

Are you ready to get started?  If so, check out Getting Started Journaling and the next section "Self Care Journaling Ideas".

Self Care Journaling Ideas

Self care journaling is a great way to support yourself in life.  In Self Care journaling you are taking the time and taking actions to put together a list of different ideas and actions to aide in feeling more peace and joy.  It will likely also attract more positivity, resilience, and a greater sense of strength and well-being.

To help in getting started with self care journaling here are various ideas for your self care journaling:

1 - List or write about the good parts of your day - What inspired you today?  Did you enjoy your time with someone special or a friend today?  Did you have an enjoyable experience?  Did you learn something new that you can teach someone else?  What are a few things you are grateful for today?  

Write about the good moments that happened in your day.

2 - Freely write about or list the bad parts of your day - The bad parts of the day tend to stay in our mind weighing us down and bring us down.  

By freely and openly writing about the bad parts of the day and how you felt and what you wished happened differently allows you time to process and release those negative feelings lifting the weight off you.

3 - List what you thought about through the day and why - Why are you struggling with certain emotions or insecurities now?   By thinking through the reasons for your struggles or difficult emotions it helps you understand yourself better and have greater awareness of yourself.  It may lead you to some past issues or wounds that you need to heal from.

4 - Make a gratitude list and write positive memories - Take time to reflect and be mindful of the most positive moments in your life.  Bringing awareness and being mindful of the positive moments and blessings in your life will allow you to be kinder and gentler to yourself.

5 - Keep a list of your favorite activities and meals - Add to this list so you have a variety of options when you need some self-care in your day

6 - Make a goal list

7 - Make a list of your hopes and dreams for the future

Check the Travel page for destinations in the Midwest you can travel to for inspiration and journaling spots.

In Summary

Be disciplined in your self care journaling ritual.  Journaling is a great way to support yourself in life.  Through self care journaling you will discover yourself and have greater clarity and be more aware of yourself.  It aides you in putting together a list of actions and items that bring you more peace and joy in life.  There are seven (7) self care journaling ideas to use when journaling - writing about the good parts of your day, listing or writing about the bad parts of the day,  write about what you thought about throughout the day and why, make a gratitude list and write about the positive moments and memories, keep a list of favorite activities and meals, make a goal list, and finally make a list of hopes and dreams for the future.

50 Prompts for Journaling

50 Prompts to help with Journaling:

If you are having trouble getting started journaling, journaling prompts can be useful.  The list of below prompts are grouped into several categories (Self-reflection, Best version of yourself, Work and Career, personal growth, etc).  These prompts help you get clarity and explore your dreams and develop actions to be the best version of yourself.

Also, check out the blog post on getting started journaling.

If you have journaling prompts that are helpful please share with others in the comments below.

Self-reflection

Some ideas to explore include:

1. What three things would you most like others (loved ones, potential friends and partners, professional acquaintances, etc.) to know about you?
2. Describe yourself using the first 10 words that come to mind. List 10 words that you’d like to use to describe yourself. What ways can you transform those descriptions into reality?
3. Finish the sentence: “My life would be incomplete without …”
4. Describe one or two life events that helped shape you into who you are today.
5. What five (5) changes can you make to live according to your values?
6. What values do you consider most important in life (honesty, justice, altruism, loyalty, etc.)? Do your actions align with those values, if so, how?
7. List three beliefs you’re willing to reconsider or further explore.
8. What do you most appreciate about your personality? What aspects do you find hard to accept about your personality?
9. What opinion or few opinions have you held in the past but now question or have changed. What was the reason for the change in opinion?
10. When do you trust yourself most? When do you find it harder to have faith in your instincts?

Best version of yourself:

Here are some prompts to try:

1. How do you prioritize self-care?
2. List 10 things that inspire or motivate you.
3. What aspects of your life are you most grateful for?
4. What are your favorite hobbies? Why?
5. What ways do you show yourself kindness and compassion each day?
6. Describe two or three ways you relax.
7. List three things that help you stay present in your daily routines. Then, list three ways to help boost mindfulness in your life.
8. What three things bring you the most joy daily?
9. Describe your favorite thing to do when feeling low.
10. What place makes you feel most peaceful? Describe that place using all five senses.

Personal growth:

Try these prompts to explore your dreams and outline potential paths toward change:

1. How do you make time for yourself each day?
2. Do your goals truly reflect your desires? Or do they reflect what someone else (a parent, partner, friend, etc.) wants for you?
3. What do you most want to accomplish in life?
4. Identify one area you’d like to improve. List three specific actions you can take to create that change.
5. List three important goals. How do they match up to your goals from 5 years ago?
6. List three issues lying in the way of your contentment or happiness. Then, list two potential solutions to begin overcoming each obstacle.
7. What three things would you share with your teenage self? What three questions would you want to ask an older version of yourself?
8. What helps you stay focused and motivated when you feel discouraged?
9. What do you look forward to most in the future?
10. What parts of life surprised you most? What turned out the way you expected it would?

Unwelcomed emotions

These prompts can help you explore challenging emotions productively:

1. What three self-defeating thoughts show up in your self-talk? How can you reframe them to encourage yourself instead?
2. What go-to coping strategies help you get through moments of emotional or physical pain?
3. What difficult thoughts or emotions come up most frequently for you?
4. Who do you trust with your most painful and upsetting feelings? How can you connect with them when feeling low?
5. What parts of daily life cause stress, frustration, or sadness? What can you do to change those experiences?
6. What do you fear most? Have your fears changed throughout life?
7. Describe a choice you regret. What did you learn from it?
8. Which emotions do you find hardest to accept (guilt, anger, disappointment, etc.)? How do you handle these emotions?
9. What are three things that can instantly disrupt a good mood and bring you down? What strategies do you use to counter these effects?

Note: If writing about painful emotions makes you feel even worse, there’s no need to push yourself. It may help to establish a regular journaling habit before you turn to more challenging topics.

Work and career

Here are some prompts to consider:

1. Does your work drain or overwhelm you? Why? Is this something you can change?
2. How do you use your personal strengths and abilities at work?
3. What are your career ambitions?
4. What three things can help you begin working to accomplish those goals?
5. Do you see yourself in the same job in 10 years?
6. How does work fulfill you? Does it leave you wanting more?
7. What can you do to improve your work performance?
8. What about your work feels real, necessary, or important to you?
9. How do your co-workers and supervisors recognize your strengths?
10. What part of your workday do you most enjoy?
11. What does your work teach you? Does it offer continued opportunities for learning and growth?

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Bullet Journal Guide

🙋Beginner's Guide to Bullet Journaling

Updated:  January 26, 2023

The post on Tuesday January 11, 2022 identified many different journaling types available.  One of the most versatile journaling types mentioned on Tuesday's post is the Bullet Journal.

In this article we will cover what a bullet journal is,  what supplies you need to start a bullet journal, and the different sections of a bullet journal.

The following topics will be covered:

1) What is a bullet journal and what supplies are needed to get started?

2) Bullet Journal Key and Index

3) Future log of Bullet Journal

4) The major sections of Bullet Journal - Monthly, Weekly, Daily Spreads

5) Custom Bullet Journal Collections 

Note:  Ryder Carrol is credited with coming up with the bullet journal .  

1) What is a bullet journal and what supplies are needed to get started?

The bullet journal is a productivity system based on rapid logging with symbol keys to help you organize important events, notes, and tasks.  The system used for bullet journaling is referred to as the bujo rapid logging system.  The bullet journal can also be referred to as a bullet journal planner.

The keys allow you to classify tasks without spending much time writing, this makes for a quick system to get more tasks done.

You can use the bullet journal to monitor habits and activities to increase productivity, health, or anything that might interest you.

The bullet journal is a personalized and flexible planner and journal system where you can make edits and add collections to suite your life and situation.

This journaling system provides great flexibility and versatility.  

The supplies you need to gets started bullet journaling are 2 items:  

• Notebook
• Pen

Pretty basic so no fancy stuff to get started.  Later on if you want to add some creativity and flair you can get more fancy.

2) Bullet Journal Key and Index

Bullet journal keys are the core of the bujo rapid logging systems.  

The key symbols make the bullet journal fast, easy, and effective.

The value of the key symbols is that it allows you to write, track, and scan your tasks and event in a simple and effective way.

It allows you to easily and visually scan your days' tasks and get your list written quickly without losing the meaning of the bullet journal tasks.

The bullet journal system uses the following symbols:

• bullet point identifies tasks
• dash identifies notes
• circle identifies events

Apart from these standard symbols you can create your own to bring some personalization and creativity.

Other symbols to be used as signifiers that add a little extra information about the entry are:

* for inspiration and ideas

Clock symbol to notate deadlines and due dates for projects

? to identify something that needs to be verified.

The suggestion is to start off with the standard set and then adapt personalized symbols and add signifiers as you feel inspired to do.

The bullet journal Index is your bullet journal table of contents.

The index is where you list your entries and their respective pages for easy finding in the future.  The index is your reference or mapping that you will likely need to find at a future time.

The index is a time efficient and effective way to quickly find important information in the journal in the future.  So, making the habit to fill out the index is important for you.

The index you will reference your pages as you fill them, either by following a chronological order or by clustering related pages.

For Example:

January - pages 7 - 21

February - pages 23- 27

Running log - pages 22, 28

March - pages 30 - 35

Project tasks - page 29

3) Future log of Bullet Journal

The future log is one of the first pages you setup.

It is considered a collection page.  

The bullet journal future log gives you an overview of future months at a glance.  

This is the placed to add your important long-term future events, tasks, appointments, and plans and birthdays in one (1) place.  For example medium and long term vacations, school breaks, events, appointments, and family visits.  

4) The major sections of Bullet Journal - Monthly, Weekly, Daily Spreads

The other major sections of the Bullet Journal are the Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Spreads.  We will discuss each section more in depth here.

A monthly spread is an overview of the current month at a glance.  The monthly spread is simply a calendar where you add important monthly events / appointments and notes.  The monthly spread is one of the first monthly pages you see along with the optional monthly cover page.

Next we discuss the Weekly spread in more detail.  The weekly spread is much like the monthly spread, however, the focus is on the weeks events, appointment, etc.

The weekly log is where you have all the weekly events, appointments, and important dates in one place.  You can also add the weekly bullet entries that you mark complete or add notes as you go.

The bullet journal weekly spread is one of the most important pages where you add your entries and migrate tasks.

Finally there is the bullet journal daily spread.  The daily log is where you will add all of your daily activities.  The daily spread is designed for day to day use just like the weekly logs are for weekly use.  You will rapid log your tasks, events, notes, etc. in the daily log / journal.

You can use the bullet journal daily spread to track habits, add quotes and mantras, or simply journal.

5) Custom Bullet Journal Collections 

There are many different other custom collections you can use in your bullet journal too.

Collections for the Bullet Journal are just pages or logs where you organize related information.  For example, recipes, drawings or art, Blood pressure readings, etc.

Some possible Custom Collections for the Bullet Journal are:

• Recipes
• Fitness tracker
• Heart rate tracker
• Yearly Goals
• Monthly Goals
• Mood tracker
• Finance tracker
• Weekly meals
• Decluttering  Schedule
• Laundry Schedule

Summary

To summarize we learned all about the bullet journal.  The bullet journal is efficient, versatile and flexible.  All that is needed to start a bullet journal is a notebook and a pen.  There are several different sections that comprise the bullet journal.  The Key and Index are very important and should be the start of the journal.  A bullet journal usually includes a future log, monthly, weekly, and daily spread and could also include custom collections.  And we learned the weekly spread is one of the most important sections of the bullet journal.

For journaling prompts these posts will help 

• 50 prompts for Journaling
• Best You Journaling Prompts

Credit to https://diaryofajournalplanner.com/bullet-journal-guide/ as this site is the main source of information for this post.  Much more details and/or bullet journal spread examples are available on this blog.

(C) 2022-23 jspublishing.blogspot.com

Getting started Journaling

 If you are thinking about starting with journaling.  Here are some pointers:

1) Determine the right journaling type for you and your needs is the first step.

2) Get the right journal for you and your needs.  Do you like fancy or cute journals?  Or if you purchased a fancy or cute journal will you not want to use it to save it for the important stuff?  Determine what journal will motivate you to make this a habit and stay with it.

3) Journaling should be a reliever of stress.  So, don't stress out if you planned on doing a daily journal and you miss a day or a week.  It is fine.  Journal when it makes the most sense for you and your schedule.  You will still get the benefits of journaling on your own timeline.  And start out small.  Journaling for 5 or 10 minutes will make a big impact.

4) Practice makes perfect so keep up with journaling.  You will see progress over time.  

Some ideas to help you get started with journaling are to write about your dreams or goals or how you feel about a situation and what you can do to work through a situation.

Journaling is extremely beneficial if you are in a difficult situation or feeling down. 

What trips do you want to take?  Who do you admire?  What good can you do in the world?  All good questions to journal about or think through while you journal.  Journaling will help you to figure out what you aspire for and what you aspire to be. 

Additional journaling prompts (questions) are found at 50 best journaling prompts.

Start out small and don't feel like you have to journal for a long time or that you have to do it every day.  I'd suggest starting out with the goal of journaling a few times a week and then try journaling daily.  Figure out what works for you.

Credit to https://tinytrips.com/articles/journaling-tips-benefits  as the primary source for the information in this post.

Journaling is a big part of Dream Big.  Journaling will help you understand what "Dream Big" means to you.  Good luck and leave any questions you may have in the comments. 

Check out other information and resources available on jspublishing.blogspot.com

Best social media sites about Journaling

Below are blogs and communities for those who keep a journal. 

Journaling Blogs

• Writing Through Life
• Kaizen Journaling
• Seaweed Kisses
• The Soul of Hope

Facebook Communities

Facebook has a number of journal-centric pages that you can get involved with.

• https://www.facebook.com/JournalingCenter/
• https://www.facebook.com/journalingsaves
• https://www.facebook.com/JournalingJukebox

In the comments below, let me know if you would like to see more journaling resources.  Journaling is a path way to Dream Big.  Taking time to journal will help you to Dream Big.  And then take actions toward your dreams.

Journaling Guide

What does it mean to journal?

In its basic form Journaling is free form writing.  

Journaling is something you do for yourself. It's a practice you do anywhere, at any time.  It is about self examination and having an honest conversation with yourself.

Journaling is about looking inward and exploring what makes you tick. It is an incredibly flexible practice that is easily tailored to your needs.

Here are some types explained in more detail:

• Morning pages: This is a more regimented form of free-form journaling.  It involves handwriting a few pages of thoughts first thing in the morning. This is considered a stream-of-consciousness method and is meant to illuminate thought patterns and unlock creativity.
• Mindfulness journaling: This type of journaling is a way to get out of your own head and connect to the present moment.  It Involves describing your current surroundings or emotional experiences in detail—paying attention to all five senses.
• Free-form journaling: This is what most people perceive when thinking of journaling. This "Dear Diary" form is about writing about whatever's on your mind that day—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
• Licensed clinical psychologist Elena Welsh, Ph.D., sees value in this approach, however, she notes it tends to be more time-consuming and can reinforce existing unhealthy thought patterns when not reread with a critical eye.
• Gratitude journaling:  Writing down things that you are grateful for.  They can be about your health, family, or smaller things like your morning cup of coffee or a funny conversation.  The idea behind it is that by bringing awareness to positive situations, you're training yourself to notice them more often. Experts note it is helpful to express gratitude for setbacks as well, and share your gratitude with others.
• This method has been researched most extensively for its role in mental health.
• Other types of journaling include:
• Mood check journaling - Goal is to do a quick check in with yourself and your emotional state.  It involves writing down how you're feeling in a particular moment. 
• Bullet journaling:  Combines elements of a calendar, to-do list, and notebook allowing you to reflect, plan, and daydream all in one place. Learn all the ins and outs of bullet journaling here.
• Dream journaling:  This is about writing down and analyzing your dreams from the night before. Likely, you'll start to remember your dreams more clearly and might even get some insights.
• Guided journaling: Those new to the practice of journaling might want to check out guided journals with built-in prompts and reflection exercises.

Benefits of Journaling

The benefits of journaling was discussed in a previous post.  Here is a quick overview in case you missed it:

1. Increased emotional awareness.

Research shows that emotional awareness has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

2. Improved mood.

Journaling—particularly gratitude journaling—may improve mood over time.

Calling your attention to positives likely helps restore this balance.

3. More mindfulness. 

4. Better health overall.

Beyond reducing stress and boosting mood, research has shown that expressing gratitude may help lower blood pressure, deepen sleep, and improve self-reported health overall.

5. More resilience.

Journaling can be especially helpful during hard times. 

6. Self-discovery.

Last but not least, journaling can help you get to know yourself a little better.

One last benefit of journaling is it allows you to dream big and then take actions toward your dreams.  

Research on Journaling

Journaling/Writing Therapy - Scientific Research

There is great scientific evidence on the benefits of journal writing therapy.  

Journaling is helpful for people to identify and accept their emotions, ease symptoms of mental illness, and manage stress,

Research even shows journaling can have a positive impact on physical well-being.

Michael Grothaus notes studies suggesting journaling can strengthen the immune system, drop blood pressure, help you sleep better, and generally keep you healthier (2015). 

The benefits of journaling and expressive writing for those suffering from depression are pretty clear.

It helps those dealing with depression build a buffer between their negative thoughts and their sense of well-being.  It also provides an opportunity to release pent-up negative emotions and move to a more positive frame of mind.

A sample of evidence for journaling’s effectiveness in helping folks with depression:

• Studies show writing in a journal may also be as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for reducing symptoms of depression in high-risk adolescents (Stice, Burton, Bearman, & Rohde, 2006);
• 2 contributing factors (brooding and rumination) of  depression in College students can be reduced by journaling (Gortner, Rude, & Pennebacker, 2006);
• Expressive journaling moderates impact on depressive symptoms, leading to a reduction in symptoms (Lepore, 1997);
• Expressive writing can reduce symptoms of depression in women who are struggling with the aftermath of intimate partner violence (Koopman, Ismailji, Holmes, Classen, Palesh, & Wales, 2005);
• People diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder reported significantly lower depression scores after three days of expressive writing, 20 minutes per day (Krpan, Kross, Berman, Deldin, Askren, & Jonides, 2013).

A more positive and hopeful mindset allows you to dream big and motivates you to take actions to realize your dreams.

Journaling Benefits

What do Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci have in common?

They all journaled or kept a diary.⚡

 Research indicates there is great benefit in journaling.

 In fact, journaling can help:

1. Track progress and growth 
2. Track and Achieve goals
   
3. Enhance overall communication skills - writing and expressing thoughts and ideas
4. Gain self-confidence
5. Reduce stress and anxiety
   
6. Strengthen memory
   
7. Find inspiration and motivation
   

There are many different types of journaling

A daily event journal, gratitude journal, or dream journal are the best ways to get started. 

Other forms of journaling include:  Stream of consciousness, Food, Fitness, and Sketch journals.

Remember there is no right or wrong approach.  

What is important is taking the time to get in touch with your mind, body, thoughts, and spirit.

Inspiration and motivation are necessary to dream big and start taking action toward your dreams and goals.

5 must read Harvard Business Review Articles

Happened upon these articles.  Sharing as it resonated with me.  Hope it helps.

 1)   4 tiers of digital transformation:  https://enterprisersproject.com/4-tiers-digital-transformation

 2)   Before saying yes to a job consider company culture:  https://enterprisersproject.com/saying-yes-job-consider-company-culture

 3)  How to do Hybrid right:  https://enterprisersproject.com/how-do-hybrid-right

 4)  Why do so many strategies fail:  https://enterprisersproject.com/why-do-so-many-strategies-fail

 5)  Build a better dashboard for your agile project:   https://enterprisersproject.com/build-better-dashboard-your-agile-project

Here is the article source for this info:  https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2021/12/5-must-read-harvard-business-review-articles

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