I began keeping a daily journal a few years ago. I’ve found it very helpful for organizing my thoughts, focusing on my blessings, keeping track of positive habits I want to cultivate, and intentionally planning my day. I began this practice after being encouraged by someone who found it beneficial for them, and I want to lay out a few quick points on how journaling can help you grow and develop.
- Entering a Healthy Headspace
Every morning, I begin my journal by writing down at least three things I’m thankful for. These could be people/relationships, milestones I recently accomplished, conversations I’ve had, or recounting God’s faithfulness in a particular area of my life.
Focusing on blessings and thanksgiving allows me to enter a healthy, positive mindset where I can think clearly about what I want or need to accomplish that day. - Intentionally Planning The Day
When I don’t intentionally plan out my important goals for the day, I can quickly lose track of time and unintentionally waste a day.
By contrast, regularly thinking through what key things I want to accomplish that day also forces me to think more long-term about what type of man I want to be and how I can best lead my family and be a great father. I wonder how I can advance a project I’m involved in, whether it be business, ministry, or community-based. Are there daily habits I need to establish in my life or my family’s life? - Tracking Positive Habits
Dedicating a page to track positive habits you want to establish/maintain can help keep you on track and progress in the areas you want to develop. This can be a simple hand-drawn graph listing the habits and days of the week. Some possible things to track are daily Bible reading, reading to kids, daily journaling, sticking to your diet, washing the dishes, and whatever you decide is a habit you should establish/track. - Growth Through Reflection
A great way to keep track of your growth is to take a few minutes and write down some of the things you did or experienced that day. Did you have a great conversation with a friend you want to reflect on and pray about? Did you make progress on a project? Did you experience an answer to prayer?
Writing a daily debrief helps you focus on what happened that day and can inform how you shape tomorrow.
These are just some of the benefits I’ve experienced while keeping a daily journal over the past few years.
If you haven’t established this habit, I encourage you to do so. Maybe you’ve tried keeping a journal before, and you didn’t stick with it because you didn’t know what to write or how; that was my experience. Use the framework above and just try again; there’s no shame in trying a worthwhile thing for the second or maybe hundredth time.
Using the framework above has been a blessing in my life. It has allowed me to be more intentional about how I live, work, and interact with my family and others.
Be blessed!