Art of Journaling

Today’s preparation determines… Tomorrow's Achievement!

Benjamin Franklin, the father of time management says "Failing to plan is planning to fail," & this sounds so easy and what I learned is taking action is an important step towards success and I have realized all this is possible with `Art of Journaling’ one habit that can transform your life!!

Yes, it's never too late to change your life for the better. You don’t have to make huge plans, making even the smallest changes to your daily routine can make a big difference to your life.

You might first want to ask me why journaling? Is that the only way? If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to get there, and I strongly believe that today’s preparation determines our tomorrow’s achievement.

If you agree with what I’m saying, then continue reading as I’m going to share my story of journaling and how it has impacted my life

Back then I kept a diary from school days. Apart from homework data I had some random scribbles and daily thoughts on few pages and sometimes it would be – the story of a fight with my sister or memorable moments like a festival celebration, gifts received from my uncles, mischievous of my backbencher friends & there were even a few attempts at poetry ;) I still look at them sometimes and can’t stop giggling at how silly I have penned my thoughts, absolutely no structure to it.

When I got into corporate life – I attended a few training programs and especially on Time Management where I learned about `Planning Backwards’ from yearly to daily activity. This further improvised year on year both personally and professionally, and it's further holistic to focus on all aspects of my life and now my day starts and ends with journaling

I’m practicing this powerful habit for close to 4 years now and has helped me gain clarity in what I need to do every day, feeling grateful as it has made a difference in my overall development to achieve my goals with a purpose in life.

And this is a COMMITMENT I made for myself for a truly transformational life. You might be wondering now how serious is this commitment? Yes, there is a huge difference between interest and commitment which I learned from my mentor Brigadier Sushil Bhasin and he says interest is something you will do when it is convenient and at your ease but commitment is something you will strive for results and with no excuses. His statement still resonates with me every single day.

Journaling has been around for centuries now with great leaders, what do all these people have in common apart from being famous and accomplished in their respective fields? They all incorporated the habit of journaling in one form or another into their daily routine & most of my guests on the `Stars of Learning’ Podcast have shared that Journaling is one of the most common habits they had.

By the way, the research also claims the same, and psychology practitioners are also screaming and saying this one habit of journaling will take you to positivity in reinforcing your mind. Then, why not utilize such an important element which helps you to focus, boosts your creativity, and, most importantly, helps you to feel more fulfilled in your life.

Are you struggling to make some ‘me time’? then it’s a great habit to introduce Journaling into your life. Gift yourself `a diary’ and begin your journey to reflect how you want your life with a very powerful tool that empowers & acts as a compass to your life for this new year 2021.

My mantra is - Dream Big, Believe in it, and Achieve it as Journaling has a superpower. So, jot down your values and priorities with a long-term vision of how you want your life to be.

Let me tell you how I follow: I take just 10 minutes a day with 5 mts in the morning and 5 mts before sleep

1. Gratitude - What better way to start your day with a positive spin? Simple things like gratitude for your existence, for roof on your top, good food you get to eat, smart clothes to wear, friends who energize you, and the list goes on & this has helped me to train myself to be an optimist in any situation.

2. Things to do – Your day to day activity and top 3 tasks or priorities you want to achieve on each day has to be listed and validated at the end of the day.

3. Learning -I end my day journaling with what went well and dint, ideas I came across, what I learned in a day, and or a small win I had. This reflection will energize me to start another day feeling empowered.

4. Motivational Quotes – Watch out for inspiring words from leaders who have the power to motivate and lift you up and I pen it on each date.

5. Reflection – This step holds you accountable for what you have been doing every day. So, reflect on your journal on a weekly basis in a deeper way & assess if you are going in the right direction towards your goals

We will be forced to commit to taking more meaningful action in what we do in the journal in a positive way and that too every single day. It's so inspiring when you look back at your diary on the accomplishment you have made for yourself, the learning you have made thru your challenges are so rewarding. You should definitely experience that feeling of “connecting to yourself”.

Make Your Journal Special - Like your favorite room that needs to be comfortable, your journal should be a welcoming and happy space where you want to be every single day. BTW friends don’t delay as even a piece of paper is good to start, just pick up whatever works for you.

The greatest happiness is to transform your thinking or feelings into actions, and this is possible only with journaling, so act now…to be happy. The new year brings 365 opportunities for something great to happen, so why not start with journaling?

I wish you good luck and enjoy each day of voyages in journaling and do let me know what works best for you. Would be happy to see your response & feedback in the comment section & I will be happy to answer all your queries.

Again, with huge gratitude to all my listeners wishing you all a very Happy Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2021!

If you wish to Listen - http://bit.ly/journalinghabit