Journaling Is Important For Your Business But Do You Know What To Write In A Journal To Help Keep You On Track?
Business owners are very busy with millions of things going on in their minds and unless they know what to write in a journal many of those will be lost forever.
If you are anything like me your mind will be racing all the time with ideas and things that must be done. There never seems to be enough time in the day and ideas can pop into your mind at any moment.
Even to the point when you are asleep but when you wake up you can’t remember what they were. That is annoying and there isn’t much you can do about that but during the day you can. With the technology we have at our fingertips it is easy to make a note on our phone or computer for future reference.
That future reference is critical and one of the ways I prefer is to transfer that digital data on a hard copy. Call it old school if you like but there is something powerful about having a written journal. It is tangible because you can get hold of it and it is a refreshing feeling to flip the pages.
Also, after a while you start to form a collection on your bookshelf which reflects different times in your life. The information in these journals are golden nuggets which can be used or adapted to the current climate.
If you haven’t started this process, then now is the time to catch the moment now and plan for the future. Then as I have said it is then set in stone and timeless because you can always look back. Let’s look at what to write in a journal to give you some ideas.
Inspired Thoughts Are What To Write In A Journal
This is a bit of a standing joke in my Build Your AU mastermind group because of the time I host them. I have members from all parts of the world such as the USA, UK, Europe and here where I live in Australia. So, it has been a challenge to set a time that is accessible to everyone without being unsocial.
For myself it is around 6.00 – 7.00am and I always have a structure in place without having a concrete agenda. The beauty of live masterminds is that they go off in all directions depending on the conversation. This is what makes them so powerful and why I love them.
Anyway, I often have inspired thoughts in the shower which logistically makes it hard to capture them on paper. So, I frantically keep it going through my head and rush down to my desk and then take notes. Usually this is my opening gambit because it is fresh, raw and real and now I think the members expect me to open with this.
Those inspired thoughts then go into my journal for future reference, but they evolve due to the process that I use them. From one inspired thought germinates others within the group and they log them into their journals as well.
This exercise was one of the first I implemented when the mastermind group formed many months ago. Each of the members has their journals because it is a catalogue of their progress from day 1.
You will have the same experience of inspired thoughts just appearing so make sure you log them somewhere. Then add them to your daily journal. After time you will see a pattern appear for your thoughts which could form part of a product or strategy.
Setting An Achieving Goals
An important part of your business is the process of goal setting. Your journal is the ideal place to write your goals and how you plan to achieve them. It is important to put a timeframe on what you want to achieve and if you have a daily journal then it can help you keep on track.
When you are staring out it is easy to become overwhelmed because you look at the task ahead as building the business. What you must do is break things down into stages and then break each stage down even further.
Think about it like you are writing a book. You know the overall storyline in your head, but it is the chapters that brings everything together. You will have a vision on what your life and business look like, so it is time to break everything down into actionable steps.
Then take one step at a time and break it down further into what you must do to achieve that step. The next thing to do is put a deadline on when it must be done. When you do this, it makes everything real because you can see it on paper. It also makes you accountable for your actions, especially if you share it with the people around you.
It is also a way of self acknowledgement because when you have completed the step you can cross it off. This then gives you the motivation to undertake the next step and you will find that your energy levels increase.
A Journal Helps Keep Everything Organized
A daily journal helps to keep everything organized and structured. If you write everything down in one place, then it is easy to refer to, so you know exactly what needs to be done.
If you are of a certain age you may remember an American television series called Columbo. The star of the show was an actor called Peter Falk and his character was Lt. Columbo. A seemingly scruffy individual in his trademark raincoat and someone you would think on appearance would never solve a case.
This was because of his system which basically resulted in scraps of paper, like post it notes, that would appear from nowhere. Miraculously everything came together and just in the nick of time he would solve the case and convict the assailant. Pure Hollywood at it’s finest but not the sort of system for the real world we live in.
Don’t get me wrong, I use post it notes but in a structured way and attach them to my whiteboards. My journals keep me in sync because they have purpose and structure for me to follow. I am certainly not chasing around for scraps of paper with important information on them.
Practice Makes Perfect
Creating a journal will help you perfect the art of writing which is something that gets lost in the digital world we live in. It is a skill and by practicing it on a regular basis will help you create the language that people will get used to. Your message is what connects with people and exploring this subject within your journal will develop that message.
The ideas you log in your journal will form the outcome that you want to achieve for your audience. It will help you understand them more therefore your message will evolve to make the most impact.
When you allow yourself to explore your subject that impact will be felt more through telling your story. Your journal will be a vault of storylines which you can elaborate on within the content that you create for your audience.
One of my Build Your AU mastermind members has a series of journals that is the source for content creation through blog posts and videos. What goes into his journal will emerge and find a place on his platforms and profiles online. He strikes a line through his ideas when the story has been told but they are always there for when he may need them again.
Your journal will become a valuable resource but knowing what to write in a journal will create the magic. Veins of gold both in value and in monetary terms will all stem from what is inside the front and back cover. It is like having your own Aladdin’s cave at your fingertips and is only limited by your imagination.
Helping you build your authenticity, authority and audience.
Trish Davies
Build Your AU
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