Recently, a client of mine described a new habit they’ve taken up as “phenomenal.” It’s completely changed their perspective on life and their ability to deal with challenges.
That habit? You guessed it: journaling once a day for a mere ten minutes.
I touched on it last week, but it’s such a valuable skill I wanted to expand on the idea. The problem with thoughts is that when they stay in your head, even bad ones can make perfect sense. It’s not until you can get those thoughts outside your head that you can hear and see them clearly. When you journal, you’re able to really hear yourself think. By taking the physical step of writing it down, you expose your thoughts and emotions to the light of day and are forced to see them. What’s more, you will often–almost instinctively–read over what you’ve written. It can help you to clarify your own thought process in a memorable and really productive way. First you think/feel it, then you write it down, then you see it, then your thoughts/feelings evolve and it helps you clarify what it is you really want or what you’re trying to achieve. It helps to resolve emotions you’re struggling with, problems you are trying to solve, dreams you are beginning to form… and it’s a wonderful tool for emotional health and mental efficiency. If there is one, I would say the only downside to journaling is a journal doesn’t talk back. That can be a plus, of course, if you just want to process your own thoughts alone. That’s healthy and, as I’ve iterated, something I highly recommend.
Once you get to a point where you need your journal to start asking tough questions, that’s what coaching is for.
