A kind of magic happens when you put your emotions, actions, and gratitude in your journal. I’ve been doing it every day for years and I never tire of it.
In 2015, I discovered (I can’t remember how) a simple habit that amplifies the benefits of journaling. It’s simple and yet very effective.
Reread your journal regularly. As soon as I started, I immediately felt the benefits, and every time I manage to do it (in 2022, I want to do it more regularly), I feel good.
I recently did it as part of the previous year’s reflection and preparation for 2022. And a large number of my ideas and projects for 2022 were born during the reviewing part of last year’s journal.
Photo by Ashlyn Ciara on Unsplash
The process. How To Amplify The Benefits Of Journaling ?
I write in a digital application. I have a note for each year with one entry per day. But I guess you can replicate the approach on paper.
- I open my note for the past year.
- I open a second note that I call “Journal_ Lesson learnt”
- I reread my past year like a digital book.
- Each time I come across something that interests me, an idea, a doubt, a project, an action, a thought, I highlight it in bold and write it down in the second note ” “journal: lessons learned”.For the year 2021, I did it in several sessions.
- Once I had done the whole year, I reorganized my “lessons learned” note by theme. The year 2021 for me revolved around a career change, running, learning chess, inspirational thoughts, interesting book passages, doubts, decisions…
Where to start?
- If you don’t write, why not try in 2022. One note a day. Start small. And who knows, you will naturally write more if you like it.
- If you already journal but don’t have a review process. Give it a try. It’s like increasing the taste of something you already like. Reviewing has become as important as writing for me. I do it in an organized way as described above. But also wholly improvised. In this case, I just highlight what interests me. It prepares the second step of reflection.
Enjoy your journal and review time.
Related articles.
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. How it has transformed my life, and why it can change yours.
The Bad Child: How can self-reflection benefit you?
How to build your weekly review?
It’s more difficult to follow through with our goals than to set them. How I use the weekly review?
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