Journaling as a self improvement technique
As we work to change ourselves, gain skills, change habits, improve mindsets, our memory can deceive us as far as our progress is concerned.
If I want to run more, I track it in my app and my progress is clear, detailed and objective.
But if I say, “I want to be a better listener?”, how do I track my progress and how do I know how I’m doing? It’s easy to be either too happy or too unhappy with your progress, to think that you’re doing a lot when in fact you’re not doing much, or the other way around.
The simple technique of journaling goes a long way:
Every time you do something related to your goal, write it down.
Every time you should have done something, but didn’t, also write it down. The ups and the downs.
If there’s any lesson or insight you had in the moment, write that down too. Why it worked that way, how did it feel, why it failed etc.
Periodically, consult your journal, to regain your perspective on how it’s going, rekindle your motivation and get new ideas for next steps.
You can have it in a physical notebook if you’re old school, like I like it, in a file, video format, record quick clips and put them in the same album. Whatever work for you.
Have a good one
Andrei