Why Journaling Will Set You Free

Journaling has been a wonderful way for me to start writing again. I used to HATE writing papers in high school and college. I hated it more than anything else in school.

I was the kind of student that waited until the night before the paper was due to start my writing. It took every single cell in my body to get focused and sit down in front of my computer to start pounding the letters on my keyboard.

Writing assignments gave me the most uncomfortable and forced feeling...the feeling that I must sit here and do this! I would find every kind of reason to get distracted. Normally this is called procrastination, but I have NO clue what you would call my malfunction…I was far worse than any procrastinator.

But as soon as I would start writing, something magical would happen…I didn’t stop. I lost the sense of time like it disappeared or evaporated. I would just go off! Hours would go by and the next time I came back to reality, my paper or report was finished.

The craziest thing about it is, I would get A’s and 100s from the teacher and professors. What an awesome feeling…but I never gave it any thought after I received my grades.

I was ecstatic when I graduated college (I’m sure you can empathize) because I never had to write a damn paper again! I literally threw my arms up in the air and jumped around with joy. Not because I had accomplished my college degree, but the simple fact that I never had to be forced to write again…and I, more times than not, enjoyed school.

It wasn’t until about 3 years after college, when a very close friend of mine, like an older brother-type friend, told me how unaware and lost I am. He said that I wasn’t fooling any one and it was so easily seen. He told me that he has never seen anyone with as much potential I have, shoot themselves in the foot as much as I did (he also said a lot more, but this was pretty much the gist of it).

First of all, at this time, no one had ever talked to me like that. It was a punch between the eyes, a slap in the face, and ice-cold water poured on my head all at the same time. I have always said if this had been anyone else besides this guy, we would, without a shred of doubt be fighting!….Thank you Jacob.

So a week later, he bought me a journal…a freakin’ journal!?...what the heck is this crap!?...I’m like, “this is a diary...I don’t keep a diary bro!” He told me that I need to start writing my thoughts down on paper. He said I need to clear my mind and unclutter my thoughts.

Obviously when he handed this to me, I made the most confused and frustrated look at him, and said “how the heck do I journal?” He told me he has no clue what I need to do but to just start writing.

Can you believe it??...I felt like I was back in school and forced to figure this out. I had a rush of that uncomfortable and forced feeling again. I hated every bit of this idea, but I was motivated and wanted to rewire myself after what I had recently been made aware of about myself.

After about month of staring at this “journal”, (to me it was a small booklet filled with blank pages with lines to write on), I sat down early one morning with a cup of coffee and starting writing about what I wanted to do that day…like a to-do list. I finished writing in about 5 minutes. Then at the end of the day, I realized I finished all my tasks on that to-do list. I didn’t procrastinate. For next couple of days I did the same thing early in the mornings. I noticed how I was finishing all my tasks.

A couple weeks of doing that went by and bored with just a to-do list, I added a little more. I started writing about how I felt with what Jacob told me a few weeks earlier, how I was going to change that view of me, and how I realized I’m going to become more aware of myself.

I never did feel that uncomfortable and frustrated feeling of I HAVE TO write again. However, I did start feeling lighter, major clarity, super productive, happier, friendlier, more open, more understanding, kinder to myself, less rigid, and less hard on myself. Obviously, these translated onto others and my relationships with people too.

I realized I was on auto-pilot and was not in control of my time, my day, and my destiny. I finally felt that I had an outlet and a way to start my day, clearing all the clutter and thoughts away from the day/night before. This was a way to start my day by my choice, figuring out what was important for me to focus on through tasks, feelings, and needs. It was like therapy because it was exactly that...therapy.

This is also the secret sauce to my Waking Habits Routine. Journaling is key to that process. There are so many ways and regiments to journal, as there is no right/wrong or better/worse way to do it. I take a little bit from folks that I see having successful, productive, and happy habits then made my own style out of it.

There is gratitude journaling, free thought journaling, writing about something recently achieved/accomplished, something exciting that happened, something dark (maybe a huge secret), plan journaling (like an exotic island I want to visit), question and answer journaling, affirmation journaling, giving yourself advice (like a guru), prayer journaling, etc..

The best thing about journaling is that it doesn’t take hours like back in college, it takes only minutes…usually 10-15 minutes. I found freedom in my life again and awareness that I would have never found, if I didn’t’ start journaling.

I wish I could buy you a journal like Jacob did for me, but most likely I may not have that pleasure. However, I can at least give you the advice he gave me….. START WRITING YOUR THOUGHTS DOWN ON PAPER. YOU NEED TO CLEAR YOUR MIND & UNCLUTTER YOUR THOUGHTS…I HAVE NO CLUE HOW YOU NEED TO DO IT, BUT JUST START WRITING!

Check out more of my inspo, motivation and other goodness on www.lifebycorey.com. That will be much appreciated!