by Suzanne Lieurance
As a writer, I’ve always enjoyed keeping a daily journal, which is more like a diary. But when I became a fulltime freelance writer many years ago, I started to journal for success. For that, I use what I call a Success Journal. Since I’m now a writing coach as well as a writer, I also encourage my coaching clients to use a Success Journal. But you don’t have to be a professional writer to journal about success. Anyone who is working towards specific goals will benefit from this type of journaling.
To start a Success Journal, simply get a clean, fresh spiral notebook and write the words, “Success Journal” and the current year on the front of the notebook with a permanent marker. Each morning, write your goals for the day (or your long term goals for the year) at the top of a fresh page in this notebook. And, yes, you will want to write your goals at the top of a new page each day, even if these goals do not change from day to day. The act of writing down your goals each and every morning helps to keep them fresh in your mind.
Under these goals, on the first line of the page for the day, write the date and the day of the week. Next, make a list of the actions you plan to take that day that should move you closer to reaching the goal or goals you’ve listed at the top of the page.
Leave the rest of the page for writing your reflections or thoughts about these actions, then sit in a quiet place and start journaling about this. At the end of the day, come back to the journal and write about the progress you made that day.
When you face certain obstacles or challenges as you’re working toward your goals, use your Success Journal to explore these obstacles or challenges in detail. Start a dialogue with yourself, where you ask yourself a question about the challenge or obstacle and then attempt to answer it. I know this sounds a little crazy. But, trust me, it’s very helpful. And, I’ve found that if I sit down with my journal and write about one of my problems, challenges, or obstacles for at least 15 minutes, by the end of that time I seem to have made some sort of connection with a higher power – or maybe it’s just my subconscious mind – that provides me with answers and solutions to these problems or challenges. The trick (for me, at least) is that I must write for at least 15 minutes without stopping. If I write for less time than that, I don’t have the same kind of insightful breakthroughs.
Over time, your Success Journal will reveal some important information about the way you work, think, and handle challenges. And, just the name SUCCESS Journal will help you focus on what you need to do or change in order to reach your professional goals and become more successful.
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Suzanne Lieurance is an author, freelance writer, and a certified professional life coach and writing coach, speaker and workshop presenter. She lives and writes by the sea in Jensen Beach, Florida. Find out how she can coach you to the writing career of your dreams at www.workingwriterscoach.com.
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