If reading is
important in your personal development then writing and keeping a personal
journal is just as important. Keeping a journal allows you to capture ideas and
thoughts in writing. Don’t trust your memory. With everything that goes on in a
day there is no way to keep everything you learn in your memory bank. Lee Iacocca said, "The discipline of writing something down is the first step to making it happen."
That is where a
journal is so valuable. I buy blank books. I may pay as much as $20 for one.
The reason I do is to challenge myself to find something worth $20 to put into
it. As much as I love to write, keeping a journal was one of the things that
took me the longest to grasp. I always took notes and wrote them on a legal
pad. Sure enough the page would get torn off and then I would lose it.
That changed when I
became consistent with keeping my journal. Now I have everything in them. All
my notes are in one easy place for review.
Writing allows you
to get a grasp on what is going on in your life. When you write it frees your
mind of stuff that tends to clutter it. When you write you get the ideas on
paper and it allows you to get more ideas. You can also discover new ideas as
you write. Your writing should be free flowing. Write at a pace that will get
your mind going. Really dig in.
What do I keep in a Journal?
What
should you keep in your journal? The answer is simple. Anything that you find
valuable.
Here are five things you can keep in your journal:
1.
New Ideas
– When you come up with an idea based on experience or something you read
write it down. Don’t trust your memory. Many a great idea has been caught up in
flames because it wasn’t written down. I know personally I have thought of good
ideas and forgot them because I didn’t write them down. Anytime you come up
with something take five minutes to jot down the idea and a brief description.
You can elaborate more when more ideas hit you.
2.
Quotes – When
I come across a great quote I immediately write it down otherwise I forget
about it. Quotes are so valuable that when you find one that inspires you make
sure you take the time to record it. You’ll need to in order to properly
reflect on it.
3.
Goals – When
you write your goals out put them in your journal. If you need to write it
elsewhere make sure you eventually transcribe it to your journal. Since your
goals should be reviewed daily they should be kept in the safety of your
journal.
4.
Notes
from Books, Movies, and Songs – As I read I keep notes in my journal. Then
I can easily review them without having to go back through the book. Passages
in books that have an impact on you should always be readily available. If
there is a line in a movie or song you need to remember then record it. You
will be so glad you did.
5.
Notes
from Lectures – If you are at a seminar or listening to one at home or in
your car, take notes. The things you learn in seminars are very important, and
you want to make sure you can review them. Just like other notes you need to
record what you learn.
Reflection
One of the best things about a journal is that
you can use it for reflection. After your day is over take the time to review
your journal entries for the day. Review what you learned. This will give you a
jump-start on the next day. Add more to it if necessary. During your time of
reflection go back over the quotes, and ideas and then apply them to your life.
Reflection is key in every area of personal development.
If you reflect on
your day it will give you keen insights on what you did, and how you can do it
better. The only way to do this is by keeping a journal. If you haven’t
recorded your day then how can you reflect on it?
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