One of the best things about bullet journaling is the blank page. You’re not restricted by templates or layouts, instead you can customize each individual page to you. It’s that perfect blend of creativity, personalization, and planning. What’s not to love!
Even better, with plenty of room for creative expression, your bullet journal can morph into something more than your place to plan your day and figure out your time. It’s a place for doodling and goal setting, habit tracking and gratitude practicing. It can even be your place for journaling.
And if you’re someone who wants to get more out of your life, journaling is a very powerful practice to start.
Let me explain…
Why is productivity such a struggle?
Have you ever wondered why it’s such a struggle to do things that are good for you?
If you’re anything like me, then you’ll know about healthy eating but still eat too much chocolate. You know you should exercise more, but struggle to find the time, and you know you shouldn’t be procrastinating, but you just can’t seem to get yourself into gear!
What’s more, you constantly struggle with the same problems and you also fall into patterns that frustrate you, trip you up, or get you stuck.
And it can be hard to know why!
I think us humans are a little like icebergs.
There’s a certain amount of us that can be seen on the surface… then a whole lot more that’s lurking inside.
Inside, are things such as our beliefs and our values. Our mindsets and our experiences – even the stories we tell ourselves about who we are [and what we can do.]
This internal dialogue [and endless inner chatter] is often unnoticed. But it’s here where your inner critic likes to play and where repetitive thought loops and habits cause you to respond in predictable ways.
In short, there’s a whole stack of stuff about ourselves that we don’t know!
But dive into this treasure trove of insights, and we can quite literally change the way we see the world, act in the world, and achieve in the world.
That’s the power of journaling. It’s a method that puts the inner you onto the page. It’s a practice that creates a mirror so you can see all the things that have previously been invisible.
Through journaling, you can increase your self-awareness. You can get to know yourself better and you can become more familiar with the inner voice that’s guiding you.
And as you get to know yourself better, so you’re able to make more informed and empowered decisions and choices in your everyday life.
It’s literally one of the best things you can do to get more out of your life 🙂
How to journal effectively
As with any new habit, journaling is a practice that can take a little while to bed in. The blank page may create writer’s block. You may be unclear what questions to ask. You may not know what to write – or feel confident writing.
But here’s the thing…
In the same way that your bullet journal is unique to you, so is the way you journal. Journaling is such a personal thing, which means you can take your time to figure out what’s right for you.
I approach my journaling in a number of ways – depending on how I’m feeling or what’s happening.
I usually do my practice in the morning after the kids have gone to school. I brew myself a cuppa, sit in my favorite chair, and dedicate some protected time to dance around my thoughts.
Every day is different:
- Some days I’ll write about what’s happening – especially when I’m processing a shift or a challenging event or situation.
- Other times I’ll write about how I’m feeling. I’ll explore the emotions and memories that surface as I’m processing something.
- Then other times I’ll ask myself a question with a journaling prompt.
The awesome power of journaling prompts
Journaling prompts are a super powerful journaling tool.
The average person has been 50,000 – 70,000 thoughts a day. That sounds like a lot, but the problem is most of these thoughts are repetitive. In other words, our headspace is taken up by recurring ideas that never really go anywhere.
And when we stay stuck in the same loops. It’s harder to see new things and explore fresh ideas.
Journaling prompts cut through the mundane and guide your thinking down a different route entirely. They invite you to explore ideas and concepts you’ve never considered before. They make you laser focused. They allow you to dig into your inner world and discover things about yourself that was previously lost and buried.
Journaling prompts are also the perfect way to push through writer’s block because they give you something to write about. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, you can force the inspiration to come by using a prompt to unblock the dam.
Because that’s the really cool thing…
The truth is we like talking about ourselves and journaling gives you an excuse to do just that!
And as you probe a little deeper, I promise you’ll discover things about yourself that will blow you away.
What journaling prompts should you answer?
The best journaling prompts are those that make you think and inspire you to dive a little deeper into you.
They tease out your values, help you understand your view of the world, and get you clearer on why you do things the way that you do.
It’s why my new found love is the Wordsmith Deck by BestSelf.
This incredible writing tool is packed with 150 different journaling prompts that invite you to explore what’s beneath the surface of you. There are six topics in total including questions about:
- Life
- Self
- Education
- World
- Relationships
- Random
The Wordsmith Deck is super simple to use. Simply open the deck and either pull a card at random or choose one from a particular topic. Turn to a blank page in your journal and write. You can set a timer or a page count – or just write for as long as you feel inspired.
Here’s the key…
You don’t need to be a great writer to get value from this practice. Journaling is a practice for you. Nobody else need see your words. You don’t even need to read them back! Instead, your goal is to get your answer to the journaling prompt onto the page in whatever way flows best for you – be that beautifully written paragraphs or a bulleted list [or anything in between].
There is no right or wrong way… only your way. You cannot get this wrong.
The sooner you start your journaling practice, you sooner you start to benefit from the insights it serves up. The Wordsmith Deck is here to kick-start your practice with journaling prompts that guide you to know yourself on a whole different level. And with a $22.99 price tag, it’s super affordable too.
So watch out… as your self-awareness grows, so will your capacity to do more great stuff with your life.
One more thing…
My friends at BestSelf are offering you a 15% discount off a WordSmith Deck. Simply check out with code WORDSMITH15. I’m sure this is a tool you will absolutely love.
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