Write! Write! Write!

Journaling

Next to breathing, I cannot think of any self development tool I have used that has been as simple and powerful as keeping a journal!!!  If you are a regular reader of my blog, or if you know me personally, you have probably heard me say this numerous times!

There are different journals that I keep (for you, it may work to keep one journal and include all of these in the same journal; I personally prefer to keep them separate):

~Personal Journal -- I keep this journal in a nice hardbound Journal.  I use this journal to record how God's hand has blessed my life.  Since I started keeping this journal 4 years ago, my gratitude has expanded more than I would have ever thought possible!  I constantly see God's hand in my life, and I now focus more on my blessings!  This journal has changed my life!  Not only am I more aware of the blessings that surround me, but I believe that I am now creating more blessings in my life because I am so focused on them!  This is the quote that inspired me to start keeping my personal journal this way:

          "You could ask yourself, 'How did God bless me today?' If you do that long 
          enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And 
          sometimes you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice 
          during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God's hand in 
          your life." ~Henry Eyring

~Feelings Journal -- I use an inexpensive spiral notebook that I keep in a drawer by my bed.  Whenever I get stuck, I start writing my feelings.  When you write, you bypass the part of your brain that is trying to keep things the same, and you are able to get to the bottom of what you're really thinking!  90% of the time I am surprised at what I write!  On a piece of paper write, "I am feeling ______ because..." and start writing whatever comes to mind.  For example, If I am feeling confused I write, "I am feeling confused because..." and then I just start writing.

~Notes Journal -- I use an inexpensive spiral notebook for this, also.  I write down notes from church meetings, coaching calls, books that I read, teleseminars, etc.  I love to go back and read these notes periodically - they are a great refresher for the things I have already learned.

~Scripture Journal -- I use an inexpensive spiral notebook for this, also.  As I read and study the scriptures I write down my thoughts and feelings in this journal.  Sometimes I will pick a topic and study the scriptures to find more on that one topic, and I record what I find in this journal.

~Ideas Journal -- I don't actually keep an ideas journal, but I can see the benefits of keeping one.  Ideas are fleeting, and the sooner you write them down the more likely you are to remember them!

          "When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on 
          them. Few if any of us can write one thought and think another at the same time.  
          Thus a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools." ~Michael Leboeuf

It doesn't matter how you decide to keep a journal -- the important thing is to start writing!