When it comes to habits of the successful there are a few things that pop up over and over again… and keeping a journal is one of them. So today’s post is all about journalling for success and some tips so you can start your journalling routine today. Let’s get to it!

When I was little, I was one of those girls who religiously wrote in her diary every day. It would be underneath my pillow and every night before I went to bed I would pull it out and recall my day. At some point I grew out of it and when I first came across the idea of “keeping a journal” I thought it was the American version of keeping a diary. But I couldn’t quite understand how keeping a diary would help you to be more successful.

Over time, I realised that whilst successful people would journal every day, much in the way you would keep a diary, it was the specific things they were journalling about, which led to it playing an important role in their success. So having reviewed the journalling tips of others I have created my own structure – GAGA.

 

The first G is for GRATITUDE

Having a gratitude attitude wasn’t something that came naturally for me. However, there certainly isn’t a better way to start the day than actively writing down what you are grateful for. No matter what I ensure I write 3 things I am grateful for every morning.

 

The first A is for AFFIRMATIONS

Now I enjoy saying my affirmations out loud, but I also like to write a few down. I will usually write the affirmation and then say it aloud a few times before moving onto the next.

If you are new to affirmations check out the ‘How to use affirmations to program your mind for success’, which provides more information on affirmations and there is a free list to get you started. 

 

The second G is for GOALS

This is something I picked up from Denise Duffield-Thomas, in her book, Get Rich, Lucky Bitch. She said a millionaire wrote her goals down every day and ever since then I added it into my routine and whilst I may not be a millionaire yet I can absolutely see the benefits of reminding yourself of your goals every morning. It helps to keep your goals at the front of your mind, which is super important in the busy world we live in.

 

The second A is for ACTIONS

I write at least three things that I am going to do in the day and then I review them, and tick them off,  just before going to bed. If you are like me then your actual to-do list may be very long. By just choosing a few key actions in the morning it makes it easier for you to stay focused and be able to feel like you have achieved something at the end of the day. Also, by setting these actions first thing in the morning, after just thinking about your goals you should be concentrating on important actions that are aligned with your priorities.

 

Creating your own journalling routine

So that is the basis of my journaling routine and I hope it has given you some ideas to get you started. The important thing to remember is there really isn’t a right or wrong way to journal. Some people like to do free-writing (where you let yourself write constantly, with no editing, for a set amount of time) and some people will write down lessons they have learned or quotes.

And remember you don’t have to do the same thing every day. Journalling is a tool to help you, so depending on your situation you might have a day where you want to write around a specific problem you are facing. Whereas before an important day writing your affirmations might be more useful.

I would love to know in the comments below what structure you use for your journalling and if you have found journalling helpful.