I believe you can experience joy in your journey through life. CHOOSE joy every day. Journaling helps you relish events, plan, record, and evaluate your journey, guiding you to greater growth. Here are 9 guidelines for using your journal to help you choose joy in your journey.
1) CHOOSE success. Recognize that you control your thoughts and actions. If they are not taking you where you want to go, you CAN change them. Your outer world reflects your inner world. As you write, notice the thoughts that are limiting your progress. Re-frame them into thoughts that better serve you. Train yourself to expect success.
2) DISCOVER who you are, what talents you want to develop, and how to use them to make a difference and create something lasting. As you read, learn, and journal, notice as your strengths and interests are revealed.
3) IDENTIFY compelling goals. Always be working toward something that excites you, something that compels you to be better, to fulfill your purpose. Rather than asking “if,” ask yourself “how” you can do it. Brainstorm, identify and write down meaningful goals.
4) DECIDE and take action. Use your journal to create a plan, anticipate obstacles, problem solve, and determine your next actions.
5) LEARN new things. If you regularly put good things in, you will get good things out. Study articles, books, videos, or watch people and ask questions. Learn from people who have the traits and skills you want to develop. Record your insights and how you can apply what you learn.
6) VISUALIZE your dreams and goals. Use the unlined pages to put pictures of goals, motivating statements, and action steps. Spend time daily clearly visualizing, with emotion, what you ultimately want. You tend to attract into your life what you think about. Focus on desires rather than fears.
7) EVALUATE your progress. Record and CELEBRATE your successes. Recognize that it is normal to experience bad days, but don’t dwell on past mistakes and injustices. As you journal, feel and work through your emotions, then focus on learning the lessons.
8) WRITE regularly. Use the journaling prompts at the beginning of the journal for extra guidance when you feel stuck. Record your story.
9) BE grateful. Whether you are experiencing good days or bad days, there is always something to be grateful for. Attract more good into your life by noticing and recording the good. Notice when things seem to miraculously work out for you, particularly after things were going badly. Example: Notice and record when people come into your life to help, etc.
Try the Success Choice’s Choosing Joy in the Journey Journal today.
Enjoy!