Become Your Best Self - Discover How to Journal Effectively

If only I had known then how to journal effectively!

There was a time in my life when anger and deep frustration got the best of me. Nearly all my relationships were negatively affected by it. To put it mildly, I chose the wrong coping mechanism and ended up in rehab before graduating high school.

I was not very emotionally intelligent in my adolescence. I felt deeply about many things from my personal life to the way the world operated. However, I had very few outlets for coping and managing my big emotions.

The Better Choices Made

I promise you that you'll get to the part about how to journal effectively. But first, I want to preface this with a little story about my adolescent self.

Looking back more than two decades later, I firmly believe that rehab was one of the two better choices of my life. I say that not because I worked my way through the 12-Step Program. Or because I had a sponsor, attended meetings, and came to understand what addiction was all about.

In fact, truth be told, I didn’t make it beyond step four before I walked out the door of my transitional living house with a suitcase in hand.

It’s Not the Program I Needed

I was determined to move into a new home with a new housemate and be done with rehab, NA, AA, and anything associated with it, forever. While I don’t recall the last meeting I attended, I do have vivid memories of watching people come into the program, attend meetings, and call themselves an alcoholic (or addict). All this even though they may have had years or decades of sobriety behind them. They all talked about the woes of their loaded and bloated days. Some shared about their suicidal moments, and praised the program for saving them, yet again.

I clearly remember meeting with my sponsor to inform her that I was no longer going to be in this program. I confidently told her I didn’t need to continue and that I didn’t need a sponsor. She looked at me with a face that expressed her own confidence that she would see me again soon enough. She told me I was making a huge mistake and made sure I understood that she would always be available to support me.

My sponsor never saw me again. And I haven't attended an AA or NA meeting since.

But all this is another story for another day. So now, back to the effective journaling part...

The Real Cornerstone for Me Was…

Going back to the real reason I believe rehab was such a cornerstone for me in that season…

I learned very well how to self-assess. For the first time in my life, I took a good hard look at myself. I felt my emotions and learned to communicate them. Also, I discovered my position within my family, and although there was dysfunction, I learned to cope in healthier ways. I realized that it’s being honest about my needs and wants is okay. I learned to plainly ask for what I needed without accusing or blaming those around me.

How did I do all of this, you ask?

Well, I won’t deny that there were lots and lots of sessions of counsel and therapy. Learning how to deal with dysfunction, relational strife, and circumstances that are entirely out of my control became a daily habit. But there is something else I learned during this time, and while all the other things happened in that season, this was one thing I could take with me. It was…

Journaling.

Making Your Journal a Habit

A habit I developed while in rehab that I still do to this day, and one that has awakened my heart and mind to a whole plethora of areas in my life that are not well but could be well. Journaling is the first step to realizing those areas of strength you can capitalize on, and those areas of weakness you need to improve. That is why I firmly believe that one of the most effective methods for starting a personal growth journey is learning to journal consistently.

Learning to consistently journal effectively is a simple yet powerful tool. It allows us to reflect on our thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Journaling forces us to look inward, and looking inward (self-reflection) is the beginning of personal growth. Otherwise, you can’t possibly know where you need to grow, or how. When we write down our thoughts and emotions, we gain clarity, understanding, and insight into our inner selves.

Why Writing in a Journal Will Effectively Guide Your Personal Growth

Learning to consistently journal effectively provides several benefits that make it an effective method for personal growth and self-development. When you journal, you will:

Identify patterns in your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Learn to process your emotions in a consistently healthy way.

Help yourself to establish goals that you can assess and achieve.

Writing in a Journal Effectively helps to identify patterns in our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

When we write down our experiences, we get to see and even evaluate how we react to certain situations. Doing this consistently allows us to identify those patterns that may be holding us back. On the flip side,, journaling helps us identify patterns that are helping us positively move forward.

So, when we journal, we effectively become more self-aware. We recognize areas of our life that need improvement. And we can continue (and even help others) building strength in those ways.

Journaling allows us to process our emotions in a healthy way.

By writing down our feelings, we can release them from our minds. This is so huge too!

Seriously. Have you ever had something so heavy on your mind that you started feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed? It’s hard to let things go sometimes. But when we hang on to things (especially those deep emotions or those really heavy worries), it can be difficult to function in a healthy way. Our relationships can be largely affected by the weight of it all.

When we write down all those feelings and emotions, it can be such a relief.

Sure, the problems may not be resolved just by writing them down. But sometimes that’s all that’s needed to bring resolve.

Other times, the process of writing about them can help us organize our thoughts. We might gain new perspectives on the situation and find a solution that brings resolve.

Then there are times when there may not be any good resolutions. However, just writing it all down frees up space in our hearts and minds to give attention to other things (or people).

Writing in a journal in this way can help us manage our emotions more effectively and prevent them from overwhelming us.

Journaling helps us set and achieve goals.

Writing down our goals and tracking our progress helps us to stay motivated and focused on what we want to achieve. This can lead to greater self-esteem and a sense of purpose. We also get to see the process as we achieve and accomplish our goals.

While in rehab at the age of eighteen, I made it my goal to spend time each morning and evening writing in my journal. It was all new to me but I decided to start simply. My journal entries at that time consisted of five short-term goals that I wanted to achieve that day. In the evening, I reviewed each goal and wrote whether I achieved them. If I did meet a goal, I wrote about how I did it. If I didn’t meet a goal, I wrote about why and how I can improve tomorrow. Each goal fell into a category: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational.

I was determined to continue journaling in this way for a whole year. By the end of that year, I was shocked by what I realized about myself. That I had passions, interests, and priorities (long and short-term) I didn't know existed. I discovered my unique personality and how wonderful it is to be my quirky, sometimes silly, and often deeply serious self. I learned new ways of coping with the pain of loss and other trying circumstances. And I developed a greater desire to take better care of myself.

The Goal Journal Strategy: A Simple Way to Journal Effectively

There are many ways to journal effectively. One strategy is to write simple goals each day in different categories (in the same way I did). Below, I have included just a few examples of what this journaling method looks like. There is no need to buy a fancy journal at all. Any notebook with paper will suffice. If you’re a professional (at eighteen I certainly was not), you can add a sixth category for professional goals.

I believe that whether you are new to journaling or not, if you can continue journaling in this way for a year, you will be well on your way in your own personal growth journey.

Check out these examples below. Please note that while I have provided several examples for each category, it is best to only write one or two goals per category.

Physical:

Drink one more full glass of water than yesterday. Take a 30-minute walk, drink 8 glasses of water, eat a healthy lunch, stretch for 10 minutes.

Mental: 

Read a news article (or listen to a podcast) and come up with three questions to research further that are related to the article (podcast). Read a chapter of a book, learn a new word, write a poem, solve a crossword puzzle.

Emotional: 

Pay attention to how I feel today and ask myself why I feel this way. Pay specific attention to feelings that lead to anxiety, such as fear, frustration, or anger. Write down three things I'm grateful for, practice deep breathing for 5 minutes, journal about a difficult emotion.

Spiritual: 

Spend at least 15 minutes in prayer (or meditation). Write a prayer, attend a religious service, reflect on a meaningful quote.

Relational: 

Call a friend for no other reason but to say hello and have a good conversation. Compliment a coworker, schedule a date night with my partner, send a thank you note, reach out to a friend I haven't talked to in a while.

Professional:

Finish grading the tenth-grade heroes' journey essays. Share results from a project with my boss, offer help to a coworker.

At the end of each day, evaluate your progress towards your goals in your journal. Write down what went well and where there’s room for improvement. This will help you gain insight into your habits and tendencies and allow you to adjust as needed. You may also want to reflect on any challenges or successes you experienced throughout the day. How did they make you feel?

Consistently Writing in a Journal Effectively Guides Personal Growth

Journaling is a powerful tool for personal growth and self-development. By setting simple goals each day and reflecting on them at the end of the day, we gain greater self-awareness and can develop strategies for our personal growth journeys. Whether you're looking to manage your emotions, set and achieve goals, or simply gain a better understanding of yourself, journaling can help you get there.

Now go pick up a pen and paper and start journaling your way to your personal growth journey today!

Become Your Best Self - Discover How to Journal Effectively