I’m sure you heard hundreds of people say that journaling work and that you should try it.
I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t believe it at first.
I heard many people tell me the same advice: start journaling and that my journal would be my best friend!
After hearing this advice, it started to sound less and less convincing.
Despite my doubts, I tried it, and my journal just turned into a messy collection of my thoughts and feelings.
My entries started to turn into a ramble, and needless to say, I got nothing out of it. Naturally, I dropped the practice altogether.
But one day when I was feeling especially lost and confused, I finally decided to pick up the practice. I was at one of the lowest points of my life: I hated my situation, dreaded going to work, but didn’t know how to change.
I decided this time, I would be more strategic about it.
As a result, journaling has helped me
- Solve my social media addiction
- Understand why I was feeling confused and lost
- Recognize and learn pivotal things about myself
- Helps you find solutions where you least expect it
And I know journaling can help you. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing 5 reasons why you need to start a journal today.
1. You can comfortably talk out your problems 24/7
Are there things that you’re afraid of telling people, such as your fears, past events, struggles, etc.?
Or maybe you told someone something personal and they decided to break your trust and tell someone else.
And as a result, you bottled up your emotions and kept everything you were feeling to yourself.
However, bottling up your emotions can lead to detrimental effects in the long term.1
When you bottle up your problems, you don’t get rid of it. Instead, you’re making the problem worse.
The stress from the negative emotion will build up and affect your mood, your feelings, and ultimately, your actions. I know this from first hand experience.
Instead, when you confront the feeling, understand it, and come to terms with it, you can then move on and take a huge weight off of you.
Whenever I feel a strong emotion, such as anger or frustration, I immediately write in my journal. Rather than letting that emotion sit and fester, I would write about it and immediately feel better.
Most of the times, I can find the solutions to my own problems after talking it out.
Your journal is your safe space where you can talk about your problems, clear your mind, find closure, and more. It’s accessible to you 24/7 and you can use it whenever.
2. You’ll be able to change your behaviors and actually create (positive) change
I was hopelessly addicted to phone video games.
After playing for hours, I would beat myself up over it. I just wanted to stop, but couldn’t.
I tried to force myself to stop, but it didn’t work. Instead, I kept playing until my eyes were dry.
I didn’t know why I couldn’t stop.
However, through the help of my journaling system, I was able to understand WHY I was addicted to video games and what triggered me to play non-stop.
To paint a better picture, I retreated to my phone games to help me escape my feelings of self-doubt. I played whenever I felt dejected or discouraged in my goals and tasks.
With that knowledge, I was able to deal with the root of the problem, which was my crippling doubt, instead of trying to change my behaviors externally.
There was a reason why limiting games, uninstalling it, and meditation didn’t work. The game itself wasn’t the problem — it was my belief that I wasn’t good enough.
If I took away games, I would inevitably find something else to latch onto, whether that be netflix, comics, social media, etc.
3. You’ll learn how to work with yourself and your personality, helping you be more productive
Through journaling, I learned that I worked better in quiet settings, am less productive when I multi-task, and that I feel less anxious when I slow down.
And by learning these facts about myself, I was able to redesign my life and work system so it would work with me, not against me.
However, I wasn’t aware of any of this before I started journaling.
Like the majority of the population, I was living in autopilot mode. I would do the same things everyday, wondering why I never saw results.
However, through my journaling practice, I became more aware of my behaviors. I started to see patterns. I was struggling with the same things every week, and it wasn’t until I changed something that I saw a major boost in my productivity.
When you learn more about yourself through journaling, you’re able to use this knowledge to optimize your life.
4. You’ll be more likely to achieve your goals
Studies show that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down.
But with journaling, it doesn’t stop there.
When journaling, you’re much more likely to achieve your goals, especially if you journal about it on a daily basis.
In your journal, you can assess what is working and what isn’t, helping you find smart solutions to your problems.
You’re also much more likely to pick out what isn’t working by studying past entries. And from that information, you’ll be able to better decide the best way to move forward.
Rather than setting a goal and putting it on the backburner, you’re actively taking it into your own hands and making it happen.
5. You will Find Clarity and Direction in your Life
Finally, through a journal you can find immense clarity.
After a month of journaling, I was able to figure out my values, the type of person I wanted to be, the work I wanted to do, and the type of life I want to live.
I uncovered my mental blocks, such as my self-doubt and limiting beliefs that I would never make it, rewired my thoughts, and helped create new beliefs that positively influence my actions.
As a result, I was able to take the right action steps and save so much time.
If you’re ready to start a journaling practice and find clarity, feel free to grab this FREE PDF with 7 Different Journaling Exercises.
In this freebie, you’ll:
- Learn more about yourself and your life situation
- How you got to where you are
- Uncover your fear and mental blocks
- Explore why you’re lost
- Figure out your next step for success
Journaling is so powerful. It’s accessible to you 24/7, is inexpensive, and doesn’t require a bunch of your time to see major results.
There’s a reason why almost all successful people journal.
Why do you journal? Let me know in the comments below!
