We have so many hobbies and activities that get started with a bang! We make decisions to do something and off we go! Can you relate to: “I’m going to exercise every day for 1 hour! Let’s get ripped! Go, go, go!” And you find yourself 3 days later with a sore back, tired, and needing a break? Sitting on the couch playing candy crush is so much better than working out! I get it! I do it too. So? How do you motivate yourself to journal without experiencing the “in with bang and out with a fizzle” problem?
The Process
First thing to do is slow down! Seriously, if you want to go from zero journaling to writing 3 pages every morning for the rest of your life you are going to beat yourself up. But, You will get benefits from writing regardless of how often and how much you write (look it up if you don’t believe me 😁 ). Here is what works for me. I like to try a more iterative approach with lots of self-reflection about journaling.
1. Identify why journaling is important.
I recommend that you write in your journal the answer to “why” (don’t think about it while you read this, use your journal!). It’s amazing when you write about writing. It’s like thinking about thinking, but much better! It actually benefits you!. Get your pen and journal out and write the “5 Why’s” to why journaling is important. Each “why” should answer the previous why. Start your writing like this:
- Journaling is important to me.
- Why? <Your reason 1>
- Why reason 1? <Your reason 2>
- Why reason 2? <Your reason 3>
- Why reason 3? <Your reason 4>
- Why reason 4? <Your reason 5>
For me, this process is like a cheese grater on my brain. Many times I write my reason and it’s so lame I write another and another. I’m lucky, if I get past the 3rd why. Try it, it is important to know why. Also, if you’ve done this exercise in your journal you have an awesome journal entry. Be sure to put the date and time on it. I give you permission to take a break and come back for the next one when you are ready for more. 😎
2. Wrestle with the Risk and Reward of Journaling
At first this sounds silly. But, actually this is a deep one that will take time, so bear with me. In your “personal economy” your currencies are your time, physical energy, mental energy, and some say rest. With this currency you buy many things. Examples:
- To get money at work, you spend time, physical, and mental energy.
- An Education? You spend time and mental energy at school.
- “get gains” (like my son says)? You spend time and physical energy at the gym.
- You get the point.
A very tough one for all is “you use time and mental energy playing a video game or watching Netfix and get… ” what? If you said a “dopamine rush that goes away in an hour”, then you are correct! 🙄 Anyway, enough “screen time soap boxing.” (sorry).
So pull out your journal and write down what risks and rewards are at play when you journal. Try and list them all. Cooking dinner and eating is very important, but is it more important than 30 minutes of journaling? It might be! Try to rank the risks and rewards and jot down why you rank them in this order. At the end of this journaling session, review what your wrote and figure out what you can give up for 30 minutes of journaling each day. What’s the risk of journaling 30 minutes per day? Again, if you have written this in your journal, then you have another excellent entry to review when you lose your mojo next time. Put a date and time on it and ear mark it!
Congratulations! You did it! You have identified YOUR two motivations for journaling! The first is “why it’s important”, the second is “what you can give up to do this mentally healthy activity that successful people do all the time”!
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