Solve Life's Challenges with your Journal

Keep your life moving forward.

Photo by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash

A journal can serve as a wonderful tool for not only recording your life, but also for helping to find solutions to life's challenges. Many people view a journal as the same thing as a diary, but there is a fundamental difference. A diary is used to record external events in your life, but a journal is to record your thoughts, feelings, and ideas. The difference can be profound.

Consider these benefits of keeping a journal:

1. A journal creates focus. Few of us really take the time to examine our lives. We commonly feel we either don't have the time, it won't be beneficial, or it's simply too uncomfortable. By regularly making an appointment with yourself to work with your journal, you can create the necessary focus to make positive changes in your life.

2. A journal forces you to see the truth. We're all amazing at fooling and distracting ourselves, but when the truth is right before our eyes in black and white, there's no place to hide. Handwriting in your journal allows your mind to wander and dump. We are prone to express thoughts and emotions we didn’t know existed.

3. A journal releases stress. There's something cathartic about getting your thoughts on paper. Write nasty letters you never send, brain-dump an obsessive thought. Release your concerns, dreams, needs, activities. Reducing your stress also creates a more effective state of mind for solving challenges.

4. A journal provides a means of measuring progress and growth. Have you ever seen a friend's child and noticed how much they've grown? You wouldn't notice the growth if you saw that child every day. Our own personal growth is similar. We’re so focused on daily tasks and needs, we rarely stop to acknowledge our accomplishments.

* Small changes aren't noticed when you're exposed to them daily. A journal provides a way of looking back and seeing just how far you've come. Our journal gives us a perspective of where we were, where we are, and what direction we are headed in.

Photo by Norbert Kundrak on Unsplash

Using your journal to solve challenges:

Your journal can be used as a tool to help you solve the challenges life presents:

1. Record your thoughts about the challenges you're facing. Find a quiet place. What is the fundamental issue? How does it make you feel? What small steps can you take to make the challenges smaller? How would your life improve if you were able to get this challenge fully under control?

2. Keep a list of possible solutions. Over the course of several days, your mind can provide dozens of possible solutions. Once you record a challenge or a problem, the mind processes solutions in the background while you attend to your daily tasks. Record these possible solutions for future reference. Avoid being judgmental, and take on a curious mindset. Simply record the ideas that pop into your head.

3. Develop an action plan. Eventually, one idea will stand above the rest. If you find yourself torn between multiple options, do whatever it takes to make a decision. Even flipping a coin is better than remaining indecisive.

Start with small steps that are simple and easy to accomplish. Baby steps count. Large challenges seem smaller when broken down into smaller tasks. A little momentum can be invaluable, and even if you fall on your face, you are still moving forward.

4. Record your progress. Record the actions you took each day to overcome the obstacle in your life. Also, record your thoughts and feelings about your progress. If you can make yourself feel good about the process, success is much more likely. Acknowledge improvement, no matter how small. Baby steps count. Even if you take one step a day, you have made progress.

5. Look for dissonance. Everyone is self-sabotaging to varying degrees. We rationalize, react emotionally, and resist the unknown. Record your thoughts and behaviors that are creating resistance to your progress. For example, if you need to lose 25 pounds but you're eating ice cream every day, that's a behavior that's not supporting your goal.

Make note of contradictory thoughts and behaviors. Create a list of solutions for dealing with your counterproductive habits.

6. Make journaling a daily habit. It's easy to let things slip through the cracks if you don't write in your journal each day. Once you launch your journal, it holds you accountable. Take advantage of this easy way to keep your life moving forward in a way that pleases you.

A journal can be an effective way to create positive change in your life. Even if you're skeptical, give journaling a try for a few months and measure the improvement in your life. With regular effort, you're certain to reap many positive rewards.