Taking time out of your busy life to write in a journal can sometimes feel like a luxury you can’t afford. But daily writing (or at least writing somewhat regularly) can actually help to make that hectic schedule feel more manageable. There are a variety of great reasons to write in a journal, from the therapeutic benefits to the creative ones, but did you know that keeping a journal can also help to improve your career and intuition? Here are four interesting ways that becoming a journal user can help enhance your everyday life.
1) It Will Organise and Remember Your 3:00am Ideas
There truly is such a thing as having too many good ideas. If you find yourself constantly having brilliant brainstorms at the most inopportune times (such as 3:00am when you should be asleep), then a journal is just what you need. When inspiration strikes, simply start a new page for that idea and go back to sleep, or doing whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing at the time. You can return to these ideas later to build on them or just let them percolate until you have time to start something new. This will not only build a little cache of great ideas for future you, but it will also alleviate the stress of trying to organise your tasks and accomplish them all at once.
2) It Will Get Your Career on Track
Those 3:00am ideas we mentioned above could just be the inspiration you need to take your career to the next level. And if not, there are plenty of other ways a journal can help set you in a new and beneficial direction. A journal is a great place to list advice from your mentors or to write down contacts that you don’t want to risk losing in cyberspace. You can also vent about your current situation (or make plans to change it) without risk of your employer getting wind. A journal is where you can reflect on the lessons you learn each day. Whether you are writing out study notes or analysing a presentation that didn’t go as planned, a journal is a non-judgmental place for being totally honest about your experiences. And ultimately, it is only when you really understand your hopes and goals that you can begin to work toward them.
3) It Will Deepen Your Understanding of Self
How often during the day do you ask yourself the deep, tough questions? “Why am I really here?” and “What am I feeling and why do I feel it?” are not thoughts most people allow themselves to dwell on during a regular day, but really thinking about the answers to them is how we can begin to know our true selves. A journal is a great place to take the time to think about these ultimate truths and answer them safely and privately. The more you allow yourself to think about the big picture, the deeper your understanding will be of who you want to be and how you want to live your life.
4) It Will Develop Your Intuition
It is easy to say “listen to your instincts” but how can you really separate what your heart, gut or brain is telling you? And which one is the best instinct to listen to? Writing a journal can help you develop your intuition, eliminating the second-guessing or overanalysing of every decision you are faced with. A great way to work on this is to set aside time for stream-of-consciousness journal writing. Don’t plan your next sentence (or even next word) and don’t stop to correct your spelling, punctuation or grammar. Being absolutely present in your writing will allow your authentically instinctual thoughts to come out. You may be surprised by what you read! Seeing the trends in what you write when you’re not judging yourself is a helpful tool to develop your intuition and know which voice to listen to when it comes to a tough decision.
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