Page 7 - Jilli JOURNALING to get stuff done and learn more vLI

Journaling Write for yourself

Guidance When you journal it is personal, so just write for yourself. Write about things
that inspire you. Make your journal work for you. Let it be there in whatever
capacity you need it to be. It is your space so keep it private. It should fit your
& Tips personality so make it a unique expression of you.

Pick a time of day and a place

Write every day. Choose a comfortable space where your writing can flow
undisturbed. You need to establish a routine to journal in the morning,
evening or both. Maybe, in the freshness of a new morning, taking time to
plan your day, reflect on how you will deal with anticipated challenges and do
a gratitude ritual. Or, in the quiet of the evening to reflect back on your day,
pull out lessons, track activities and plan for tomorrow. It is about personal
preferences and schedules. For me it is a daily evening ritual for tracking,
planning and reflecting and on Sunday evenings I review my week as well.

Be consistent and work at it

Journaling is a habit so be persistent and stick with it. Initially when building
this new habit keep your expectations realistic and just aim to do something
each day towards it. Take it gently, explore, just simply learn from lapses and
start again until you find your rhythm. Track it as one of your 8 habits so it
becomes second nature. Work at it, find the right way for you, seek to
understand the value you get from it and have a desire to make it work.

The signature of your handwriting

If you choose to have a physical journal do not worry about your handwriting.
Initially you may be out of practice but it will improve the more you write – it
reflects you. If you make a mess – what do you think doodles are for! You
could also see it as an opportunity to learn some handwriting skills to give
you more scope in how you write. Handwriting helps because it slows you
down and relieves the stresses of daily life. Just go with the flow and enjoy the
process.
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