8 Reasons Keeping a Journal Can Help You Reach Your Goals

8 Reasons Keeping a Journal Can Help You Reach Your Goals

By Joshua Becker



“Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.” - Will Self
Our decision to become minimalist was intentional. It was based on the realization that our possessions were distracting us from things in life that were more important. Our possessions were stealing too much of our money, time, energy, and focus. And as a result, we decided to get rid of everything we didn’t need or love to focus on our greatest passions.
On the other hand, this on-line journal of our journey into minimalism was not intentional. Originally, the Becoming Minimalist website began as simply a humble means to inform our extended family of our goals. But somewhere along the way, it became an important piece in helping us achieve them.
Since then, I have used the discipline of keeping a journal to assist me in the pursuit of other life goals as well. And I have come to clearly recognize and appreciate its importance.

Benefits of Keeping a Journal

Consider these 8 ways keeping a journal can help us reach our goals:
1. Keeping a journal requires us to write out our goals. The importance of committing our desires to paper cannot be overstated. It is a simple process, but it pays great dividends. Writing out our goals provides the opportunity to articulate them clearly and makes their achievement appear closer.
2. A journal serves as a permanent record of our progress. Success can be quickly forgotten. And when it is, it becomes easy to get frustrated with our pursuit. As with any pursuit, there are times we may feel like we have not accomplished anything despite all the invested effort and energy. During those moments, it is helpful to look back and be reminded of our past successes.
3. Writing requires us to think through the why’s and the how’s. When we sit down behind a blank computer screen or sheet of paper and begin to write out what we accomplished during the day, we are forced to think through our process on a deeper level. The discipline forces us to answer the difficult questions of “why,” “how,” or “why not?” The answers to these questions are not just helpful as we move forward to repeat successes and avoid mistakes, they can be therapeutic as well.
4. A journal proves we have solved problems in the past. Whether we are chasing a physical goal (26.2 miles), a career goal (start my own business), or a personal goal (become a better father), not every step in our pursuit is going to be easy… goals worth pursuing never are. At some point, we will be required to overcome adversity. But we will. And the next time we face it, we’ll find motivation and strength in our written record of overcoming it in the past.
5. Keeping a journal naturally reminds us to articulate next steps. It is difficult to look back without also looking forward. As a result, when we journal, we naturally begin to look forward. And the next step becomes easier to see.
6. Writing reminds us to think beyond the obvious. Always looking for “material to journal” has caused me to see the value of simplicity and minimalism in areas I would not normally have seen it ? whether it be an article in the newspaper, an advertisement on television, or a conversation with a friend. Likewise, writing causes us to become more intentional in any pursuit ? and to find inspiration beyond the obvious places right in front of us.
7. Even a private journal provides accountability. As we script our journey, we find accountability ? not to the written word, but to ourselves. Our past success and perseverance compels us forward. We can see how far we’ve come, how much we have left to accomplish, and why giving up would be foolish.
8. A written account allows our story to inspire others. Our journal is our story. It is our account of moving from Point A to Point B. And rightly shared, it can inspire others to do the same.

Getting Started.

• Find a form that is comfortable for you. A journal should work for you ? not the other way around. You may feel most comfortable with a notebook, a computer processor, a website, or anon-line writing app. Find a form that fits your personality and lifestyle. And embrace it.
• Commit to writing every day. The intention of sitting to write every day will compel your mind to manufacture and recognize progress. It is a bold plan. And you’ll likely miss days. But don’t let that stop you. Commit again to write the next day.
• Care more about substance and less about style. Write for yourself, not for others. As you do, write with the truest goal of putting onto paper your thoughts and action. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar if those things tend to bog you down. Your goal is not to get an “A.” Your goal is to articulate progress.
• Don’t be motivated by length. There are some days where you’ll be motivated to write much. Others days, only a little.
• Recognize our need. You story is important and is meant to be shared. It may be unique to you, but we desperately need to read it. Make sure we can.

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Successful businesspeople

Successful businesspeople have many traits in common with one another. They are confident and optimistic. They are disciplined self starters. They are open to any new ideas which cross their path. Here are ten traits of the successful entrepreneur.

1. Disciplined

These individuals are focused on making their businesses work, and eliminate any hindrances or distractions to their goals. They have overarching strategies and outline the tactics to accomplish them. Successful entrepreneurs are disciplined enough to take steps every day toward the achievement of their objectives.

2. Confidence

The entrepreneur does not ask questions about whether they can succeed or whether they are worthy of success. They are confident with the knowledge that they will make their businesses succeed. They exude that confidence in everything they do.

3. Open Minded

Entrepreneurs realize that every event and situation is a business opportunity. Ideas are constantly being generated about workflows and efficiency, people skills and potential new businesses. They have the ability to look at everything around them and focus it toward their goals.

4. Self Starter

Entrepreneurs know that if something needs to be done, they should start it themselves. They set the parameters and make sure that projects follow that path. They are proactive, not waiting for someone to give them permission.

5. Competitive

Many companies are formed because an entrepreneur knows that they can do a job better than another. They need to win at the sports they play and need to win at the businesses that they create. An entrepreneur will highlight their own company’s track record of success.

6. Creativity

One facet of creativity is being able to make connections between seemingly unrelated events or situations. Entrepreneurs often come up with solutions which are the synthesis of other items. They will repurpose products to market them to new industries.

7. Determination

Entrepreneurs are not thwarted by their defeats. They look at defeat as an opportunity for success. They are determined to make all of their endeavors succeed, so will try and try again until it does. Successful entrepreneurs do not believe that something cannot be done.

8. Strong people skills

The entrepreneur has strong communication skills to sell the product and motivate employees. Most successful entrepreneurs know how to motivate their employees so the business grows overall. They are very good at highlighting the benefits of any situation and coaching others to their success.

9. Strong work ethic

The successful entrepreneur will often be the first person to arrive at the office and the last one to leave. They will come in on their days off to make sure that an outcome meets their expectations. Their mind is constantly on their work, whether they are in or out of the workplace.

10. Passion

Passion is the most important trait of the successful entrepreneur. They genuinely love their work. They are willing to put in those extra hours to make the business succeed because there is a joy their business gives which goes beyond the money. The successful entrepreneur will always be reading and researching ways to make the business better.

Successful entrepreneurs want to see what the view is like at the top of the business mountain. Once they see it, they want to go further. They know how to talk to their employees, and their businesses soar as a result.

Just Do It!

The primary difference between high achievers and low achievers is “action-orientation.” Men and women who accomplish tremendous things in life are intensely action oriented. They are moving all the time. They are always busy. If they have an idea, they take action on it immediately. On the other hand, low achievers and non-achievers are full of good intentions, but they always have an excuse for not taking action today. It is well said that, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” GOALS! PAGE 45 Examine yourself in terms of your personal inventory of skills, knowledge, talent, education and ability. If you were developed to the highest level possible for you (and there is virtually no limit), answer these questions: 1. What additional knowledge and skills would you have acquired five years from now? 2. In what areas would you be recognized as absolutely excellent in what you do? 3. What would you be doing each day in order to develop the knowledge and skills you need to be one of the top performers in your field sometime in the future? Once you have answered these questions, the only question you ask is, “How?” How do you attain the skills and expertise you will require to lead your field in the years ahead?

DECIDE- Learn how to make sound decisions

Human are forced to make decisions. Surprisingly, many of them make wrong decisions. START TODAY LTD suggests the following approach used to make sound decisions. DECIDE is one of the several approaches that provide a mental check list for making any decision. I suppose that you will apply this approach from today. D- Define the problem E- Enumerate the decision factors C- Collect relevant information I- Identify a solution D- Develop and implement a plan E- Evaluate the results

Make A Decision

'' Reject any self-limiting beliefs that you might have that could be holding you back. Look into yourself and question the areas of your life where you have doubts about your abilities or talents.Keep Your Words and Actions Consistent Your beliefs are always manifested in your words and actions." STL Team

Make a decision this very day to challenge and reject any self-limiting beliefs that you might have that could be holding you back. Look into yourself and question the areas of your life where you have doubts about your abilities or talents. You might ask your friends and family members if they see any negative beliefs that you might have. Often, they will be aware of negative self-limiting beliefs you have that you are not aware of yourself. In every case, once you have identified these negative beliefs, ask yourself, “What if the opposite were true?” What if you had the ability to be extraordinarily successful in an area where you currently doubt yourself? What if you had been programmed from infancy with genius ability in a particular area? For example, what if you had within you, right now, the ability to earn and keep all the money you could ever want, throughout your life? What if you had a “golden touch” with regard to money? If you absolutely believed these things to be true, what would you do differently from what you are doing today? Keep Your Words and Actions Consistent Your beliefs are always manifested in your words and actions. Make sure that everything you say and do from now on is consistent with the beliefs that you want to have, and the person that you want to become. In time, you will replace more and more of your self-limiting beliefs with life-enhancing beliefs. Over time, you will completely reprogram yourself for success. When this occurs, the transformation that takes place in your outer life will amaze you, and all the people around you.

Look For The Good

Top people look for the good in every situation. They know that it is always there. No matter how many reversals and setbacks they experience, they expect to get something good out of everything that happens to them. They believe that every setback is part of a great plan that is moving them inexorably toward achieving the great success that is inevitable for them. If your beliefs are positive enough, you will seek the valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty. You will confidently believe that there are many things that you have to learn on the road to achieving and keeping your ultimate success. You therefore look upon every problem as a learning experience. Napoleon Hill wrote, “Within every difficulty or obstacle, there is the seed of an equal or greater advantage or benefit.” With this kind of an attitude, you benefit from everything that happens to you, positive or negative, as you move upward and onward toward achieving your major definite purpose.