The power of journaling

A couple of months ago I did a late night Kmart run

(I tend to avoid day-time Kmart because I don’t enjoy queuing up for half an hour every time I go)

I was hoping to pick up a phone case for the interim before I got a better quality phone case I actually liked (I simply do not trust myself carrying around an unclothed iPhone even for a single day)

Naturally, I ended up browsing and looking at other cheap but potentially useful items

As the saying goes, you don’t go to Kmart already knowing what you need, you go into Kmart letting it tell you what you need 

I found myself in the book section looking at titles such as ‘Air-Fryer Recipes’, ‘Crochet for Beginners’, and ‘The Secret of Tarot’ - but what grabbed my attention more was sitting amongst discounted planners and diaries - it was called ‘The 5-Minute Journal’

If you’ve ever found yourself watching vlogs of people who seem to live highly aesthetic, put-together lives (the types of people who make their own blueberry-matcha lattes served with glass straws and have a 5-9 routine before their 9-5) - you might recognise the name of this specific journal (which of course, Kmart has made a copy of) 

I had just been having a conversation with one of my clients who had suddenly made a total 180 with her habits

We’d been setting step targets and talking about cooking more at home for months - but it had been tough for her to stick to any of the goals we’d been setting with the amount of stress she was under due to work and life

When, in her check-in she’d told me that she’d been drinking more water, getting her steps in consistently, and cooking at home 90% of the time - I was so impressed, I had to know what had been the switch that led to her suddenly staying on top of all of her goals like this

It was journaling!

By taking the time to set an intention for the day ahead, and reflect on the day past, there was a subconscious drive there to ensure that she was prioritising the things she’d been telling herself to prioritise

Her mindset had also completely shifted

‘I’m feeling really good about things at the moment!’

As opposed to-

‘I just feel like it’s really hard to do anything else on top of it all right now’

I often emphasise the importance of re-framing your identity and the language you use when you are on a journey of making changes to your lifestyle

If you often tell yourself, or other people statements like ‘I hate exercise’ or ‘I’m just lazy’ - you are reinforcing an identity that will result in actions that align with that identity

As woo-woo as it sounds, if you try re-framing negative statements about yourself to using language that describes the type of person you want to be - you will be amazed at how effortlessly your actions follow suit

I used to describe myself using words like weak, awkward, shy, procrastinator… For example, I couldn’t do a single push-up, so I just avoided doing them

I would have never imagined I’d be a business owner, let alone one who worked with all kinds of different personalities, let alone someone in the field of fitness

But by seeking out evidence where I proved to myself that I can become strong when I stay consistent with my training, I can connect with all kinds of people, I can run a business in a way that aligns with my values and my style of working…

I could push against the narrative I’d created for myself and live the life of the person I wanted to become. Regardless of whether the ‘old’ narratives were true - they didn’t matter because I wasn’t letting them hold me back anymore.

Through the practice of journaling, you can do the same thing 

Celebrate your successes, the moments where you proved your capabilities

Affirm yourself of the person you are now, and who you are becoming

Appreciate the doors that have opened up for you, and the things and people that make your life better 

So - I currently use my 5-Minute Journal nearly every day

And I think it might be the best $7.50 I’ve spent this year

I actively seek out things to appreciate every day, and I write down a one-line reflection that the day has taught me

It’s helping me stay grounded during this time of year and avoid feeling like I’m spinning my wheels while I’m stuck in the mud 

I encourage you to use this weekend to reflect on your current life situation - and ideally write down somewhere…

What are 3 things that you feel grateful for?

What kind of person are you choosing to be?

What action will you take to make your life feel more positive over this next week?

If you’re open to sharing, feel free to respond 

And perhaps going forward, you could get into the habit of asking yourself these questions more often

It might be the missing link between where you are now and where you’d like to be

Lx