An empty newspaper on the bed, next to a blanket and a tray with a cup of coffee and a green plant.
We've all been there. We all want to change something. But geese are hard, right?
A lack of focus and, most importantly, a lack of direction often blasts our desires to become a better version of ourselves.
"It's so hard", "I don't know where to start", "I'm overwhelmed with everything I have to do to get there"... Sound familiar?
Here is the need. Don't hit yourself on the head. Most of us have been through the same thing. But it really doesn't have to be that hard!
In this blog post, we'll go over three simple and time-consuming, yet highly effective personal growth journaling practices.
But before we move on, let's quickly identify personal growth and why it's so important.
What is self-growth?
Personal growth (also called personal growth) happens when you take practical steps to address certain things that you have become familiar with and want to change. This includes, but is not limited to:
- thought patterns
- Attitude
- Behavior
- Habits
- Valuable
Why is personal growth important?
The pursuit of personal growth has been shown to help people achieve more happiness, achieve greater success, and feel more satisfied, which brings more positivity into your life.
The process can be uncomfortable when trying to improve. However, the rewards for doing so are well documented, and journaling is one of the most powerful self-help tools you can get today.
Read on to discover three simple and easy personal growth journaling practices that really work, and learn how to take ownership of your day with a positive mindset!
1. Practice gratitude
Photo by Donald Janati on Unsplash
Gratitude is a feeling of gratitude for what you have in your life, the positive things that have happened to you, and gratitude for what people have given you.
Being grateful is basically acknowledging all the things you appreciate.
Writing down what you're grateful for can help you recognize all the good in your life more often, and thus help your happiness last longer.
Now that we have defined gratitude, write down what you are grateful for. An easy way to journal gratitude might look like this:
Start each sentence with "Today I'm grateful for..." and write 1-3 things you want to be thankful for.
Example: Today I am grateful for the following:
- Having a [partner, friend, family] supports me.
- [Luck, gift, experience] It was given to me.
- Being able to go for a run after work.
- Eat good, nutritious foods to eat every day.
- Learn from the mistake I made yesterday.
- freedom _______.
The list of things to be grateful for is endless. Find out which ones interest you and stick to 1-3 a day to keep it simple.
2. Train yourself to let go of negative thoughts and habits
Unfortunately, in this modern world, we like to complain and talk negatively about ourselves more than anything else. It is a bad habit and can lead to many harmful effects. This includes low self-esteem and increased stress, anxiety, and depression.
The fact of the matter is; The words we choose are important and realizing that is an important start towards self-growth.
Fortunately, once we identify the negative thoughts and behaviors, we can change them immediately.
The same goes for bad habits. You know that things like procrastination won't get you closer to your goal. Like eating an entire bag of crisps before bed every night, it probably doesn't do wonders for your health and well-being.
My favorite way to overcome negative thoughts and habits is to identify them, then write down the things I want to let go of and follow the reason to train my brain to think more positively.
Example: I will leave today:
- Procrastination, because it [takes away my goal _____].
- Self-doubt, because [if I didn't try, I wouldn't know].
- Fear of [rejet], otherwise [I won't get the closure].
- Negative thoughts about [things] that are out of my control.
- Feeling mad at ______, because it only hurts me.
- Unnecessary fears of _____, because they waste my precious time.
Again, you can choose how deep you want to go with this, but I usually only choose 1-3 to sharpen my focus, so I don't get too overwhelmed with the process.
3. Practice positive self-talk
Alisha Rosley's photo on Unsplash
We're not really good at leveling up, are we? We know we should, but for some reason most of us don't put much effort into it.
But that's the problem. Practicing positive self-talk is a lot easier than you might think. It comes with life-changing benefits like feeling good about yourself, showing you the bright side of life, and teaching you how to pick yourself up when you fall.
These things will also naturally increase your independence as you become more in control of your emotions.
Again, to keep it simple and easy, I only write down 1-3 things each day that I'm most proud of to improve my positive self-talk game:
Examples: Today I am proud of:
- I didn't give up when I felt like it.
- I am constantly trying to improve myself.
- Do not give in to old and bad habits.
- Forgive _____ even if they don't deserve it.
- Keep going through the tough times.
- Take the first step towards _____.
Own your day, every day
Now that you've thought about what you're grateful for and proud of and what you want to let go of, you can sum up your day with a daily affirmation/mantra to follow.
Writing positive affirmations has been proven to boost your self-esteem, improve your mood, and even combat stress.
Examples of everyday affirmations/phrases:
- Progress is better than perfection.
- I am healthy and full of energy.
- I know I can.
- I'm pretty myself.
- I will learn from yesterday so I can do better today.
- I will be present at this time.
Doing the practices above will help set you up for success on your personal growth journey. But consistency is key. If you want real change, make it a constant habit:
Find a quiet place in your home where you can uninterruptedly think about the paper (or the phone) in the morning. It won't take more than two minutes.
Plus, you can review your journal before you go to bed to see if there's anything you missed that you want to add to tomorrow's list.
Over time, you will slowly begin to notice a change in your thinking. You will become more positive, which can lead to bigger things, like feeling happier and being able to change other aspects of your life.
As Tony Robbins so aptly put it:
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