Do you keep a gratitude journal, or have you thought about doing so? 

Why keeping a gratitude Journal is important to your way to Success.

In this blog, I'd like to share some thoughts with you about why gratitude journaling is a great tool for self-reflection and an important way to keep you focused on important goals and objectives.  I've kept a Gratitude journal for many years, and I find that writing  down what I am grateful for ever day helps me show more love and appreciation for what I have to those around me. Daily writing also  helps me get my ideas out of my head so I can see them on the page which makes everything more manageable. It allows me to capture key thoughts and ideas to make consistent improvements in my business operations and my life automations (which is what I call things that need to get automatically done in my life.)

Many resources are available to help you journal.  Author Lara Zielin advises following a method of journaling called "Author Your Life," where people think of themselves as characters in a story of their own making, and encourages everyone to write about the life they want to have.  Zielin says that this style of writing helps the hesitant begin writing and eliminates the challenges of addressing the same issues over and over.  Instead of revisiting a painful experience, bringing imagination to journaling creates the opportunity to see what a great day looks like, or to usher in hope and see the possibilities.

One of the best ways for business owners to journal is find a tool designed specifically for entrepreneurs, such as our new Beyond Common Gratitude Journal  we are currently accepting pre-orders since so many of our clients have been asking for this tool. Even if you aren’t sure if journaling is for you, this is a great place to start out.

Every day has two pages with room for tasks, your own schedule (which you can fill in, if you’re so inclined), your gratitude list (we can all find three things we’re grateful for) and your current focus. I personally like to put my focus and intentions at the top and then start writing what I am most grateful for today.

The blank sections on the pages are for writing down the best part of your day, one thing you learned and everything your grateful for . Think of these pages as a place to put work and non-work related things in your life including sleep, exercise, food, focus, happiness, attitude and “you time.”

Journaling also has benefits for your personal life and can improve your mental health.  Now more than ever mindset is everything! According to a study by the University of Rochester, one of the ways to deal with any overwhelming emotion is to find a healthy way to express yourself. This makes a journal a helpful tool in managing your mental health. Journaling helps:

• Manage anxiety  and Reduce stress

• Prioritize problems, fears, and concerns

• Tracking any symptoms day-to-day so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them

• Providing an opportunity for positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts and behaviors

When you have a problem and you're stressed, keeping a journal can help you identify what’s causing that stress or anxiety. Once you’ve identified your stressors, you can work on a plan to resolve the problems and reduce your stress.

Finally, I'm pleased to offer you these tips to help you get started with journaling:

• Try to write every day. Set aside a few minutes every day to write. This will help you to write in your journal regularly.

• Make it easy. Keep a pen and paper handy at all times. Then when you want to write down your thoughts, you can. You can also keep a journal on your smartphone.

• Write or draw whatever feels right. Your journal doesn't need to follow any certain structure. It's your own private place to discuss and create whatever you want to express your feelings. Let the words and ideas flow freely. Don't worry about spelling mistakes or what other people might think.

• Use your journal as you see fit. You don't have to share your journal with anyone. If you do want to share some of your thoughts with trusted friends and loved ones, you could show them parts of your journal.

At Beyond Common, our passionate mission is to inspire and empower women business owners to look and feel their best so they can achieve their personal version of success.

If you would like to know more about our books, courses, and training programs  check out our Beyond Common Goal Setting Guidebook Training.  

We are a valuable resource for women business owners, leaders, and their teams

To learn more about the Beyond Common Business Secrets Podcast, and to download recent shows, or to get your free copy of the 12 Business Success Secrets You Need to Know, please visit www.BeyondCommonBusinessSecrets.com.

With Gratitude,

Tracey Watts Cirino

P.S.  Special Thanks to Judit Peter from Pexels for the photo!