I truly think that anything in life is a practice. If you want to be happy, practice being happy. If you want to be healthy, practice being healthy. If you want to be mindful, practice being mindful. You get it. This is why they say that yoga is a practice- because you're never done. There is no destination, you're always continuing to better yourself through a practice of self-love, mindfulness, stretching, and strengthening. Same with life, right? For a while now, I've been practicing gratitude and goal setting and am happy to introduce to you what I consider to be my most powerful practice for success: journalling. Journalling is a very effective tool that will transform the productivity of your days, thus improving the overall quality of your life. Journalling helps you express yourself, sparks your creativity, can help improve your relationships, reduces stress, and makes you more thankful for what you have. Basically, journalling can help to make you a happier, healthier, more productive person. Sounds dreamy, right? This is something I'm fairly new into so it's great for me to shed some light on how it's improved my life so far. But first, I'll share with you what I write in my journal. Keep in mind that you can write whatever you like depending on the things you're working on in your life. So here it is: a sneak peek into my daily journal.
Gratitude I always start my journal off with the things I'm grateful for at that moment. Sometimes it's hard, I admit, but those are the days you need to be reminded the most. Write down as many examples as you'd like. I often write something like this: " I am grateful that I am alive and well. I am grateful that I have everything I need. I am grateful that I live in such a beautiful part of the world. I am grateful for my family, friends, boyfriend, and kitty and that they're all happy and healthy. I am grateful for the lifestyle I have." Although looking back, one day I just wrote "I am grateful for coffee" haha... soooo.... yeah. Be honest, but once you start, you tend to pick up momentum :)
To do list Plain + simple, I write down the shit I need to do that day. Once it's written down, figure out which one is the most important and then do that one FIRST. It might sound obvious but sometimes you don't get everything done. Prioritize.
Goals I'm sure you've heard that you're much more likely to accomplish your goals if you write them down. This is true. It helps to keep your mind focused on your dreams and goals. It also helps you to recognize the importance of each day. I usually write down my day for that day; sometimes it's something like "eat healthy, be happy" other times it's like "finish the video I'm editing" but it varies day-to-day. Then I write down my 1 year goal. What do I want to have accomplished in one year? This tends to get repetitive which is good because it keeps you driven. I usually write down "do more yoga retreats". Lastly, I jot down a 5 year goal. Where do I want to be in five years? I want to teach yoga and yoga retreats and be sufficient enough to make a living only teaching yoga. I want to own a house. I want to have a family, etc.
Affirmation I always finish my journal off with a positive affirmation. Affirmations are a really powerful way to transform your life. An affirmation is simply a positive statement describing a desired situation. Writing affirmations down or repeating them over and over in your mind will eventually help train your brain to be more positive. Nothing is more beneficial to creating a beautiful life than a positive mind. An example of an affirmation I use often is "I am worthy of my dreams + desires. I can do anything if I put enough energy into it."
So there it is. That's what I write in my journal every morning. I journal in the mornings to set the tone for the day and make sure I get my to-do list in order. Technically you can write whatever you'd like in your journal; if you're looking to start eating healthier, it can be great to write down what you eat everyday- a very powerful way to clean up your diet. Right now, I don't do that but I might start soon. Like I said, I'm fairly new to journalling, but the results so far have been outstanding. I am a big procrastinator by nature and it has helped me become a lot more efficient and productive. You will be so thankful you started this practice, I promise. Let me know how it goes!!
Lots of love, as always