Journaling 101

At the end of every day, journal. Do it on the computer; it makes it easier to go back and see what you wrote. Highlight the small accomplishments of each day. Focus on the positive. Be grateful for the important people in your life. Use bullet points:

Accomplishments:
Good News!:
I Helped:
I Completed:
Kuleana:
What I’m Grateful For:
Challenges:
Concerns:
Me Time:
Friends & Family Time:
Prepping for Tomorrow:
Prayer:

Accomplishments – Highlight your top one or two achievements of the day. They don’t have to be big. Small accomplishments are accomplishments!

Good News! – Can be anything that you think can fit under this heading.

I Helped – Anything that you did to help someone else. Did you do something that helped the planet (didn’t litter, when you could have)?

I Completed – Anything that got done today. I did the dishes!

Kuleana – What’s your kuleana? What are you responsible for? Did you do a part of your kuleana today?

What I’m Grateful For – List the top things that you’re grateful for. Sometimes we forget that we have a lot to be thankful for.

Challenges – There are two categories for ‘negative’ things: Challenges and Concerns. Challenges can be barriers, difficult people, ‘opportunities’ (you know that all challenges are opportunities), our own shortcomings.

Concerns – Things you worry about. Let’s say if you worry about money. Figure out exactly how much you owe. Don’t say I owe A LOT. Keep what you worry about manageable. Don’t let it take over your day; allot a maximum of 20 minutes to worry about that one thing. Once your 20 minutes are done, move on to something else. Take a small step forward today to address your concern – a concrete step (now that’s something you can feel good about).

Me Time – What did you do for yourself today? Remember to tell yourself that you did it for you because you deserve it.

Friends & Family Time – Don’t only focus on yourself. Each day, devote time to the other people in your life you are important to you.

Prepping for Tomorrow – Jot down what’s coming up tomorrow. Staying mentally prepared keeps you on top of your game. You don’t need to worry about the future unnecessarily; see exactly what you’ve got to tackle tomorrow – one day at a time.

Prayer – The best part of your day. Here’s your time to talk to your higher being. What do you need help with? What are you grateful for?

What a wonderful way to end your day! Time for bed . . .