When I was scrolling through Instagram a few weeks ago, I ran across this poll on someone’s stories. Now, this page is notorious for mostly posting polls throughout their stories. Therefore, I thought it would be fun to participate in all of them (and it was a LONG thread).
Eventually, I ran across a poll about journalling. It wasn’t anything too complex; all it asked was whether people took the time to journal. Y’all, when I tell you I nearly SCREAMED at the results:
Yes, many people who took the poll did NOT partake in any form of journaling. I immediately decided to head to my own journal and rant away. Then, it dawned upon me that instead, I should show others the importance of journalling through a blog post. Buckle up, y’all, because now we’re about to dive into how journalling will impact your personal and professional life in the long run.
Personal Life
It doesn’t matter what position you hold in your life, because everyone has an expressive side to themselves. This part of yourself can be brought out through various methods, but two of the easiest ways are verbal and written communication. For those who are still skeptical, check out these effects of journaling:
Releases You From Your Mental Shackles
Look into the history of your life for a moment. Have you had moments that were terrifying and traumatizing that altered the course of your life? Have you felt like you couldn’t communicate with others about your build-up issues? If so, then you have been bound by mental shackles that are holding you prisoner.
Journaling is a simple method to help start the process of freeing yourself. Through using your own set of words, you can thoroughly communicate your thoughts without having to worry about the thoughts of others.
I’ll show you through my own story. When I was younger, I always kept a diary up until I graduated high school. Then, I abandoned my precious diary after high school. Journaling soon found its way back into my life when I had an identity crisis during college.
Through journaling, I released myself from mental barriers that were standing in my way. My depression and anxiety were put at bay until I sought some professional help from a therapist.
Helps You Connect With Your Inner Self
People have various arguments on the meaning of life. If you ask me, I would say the meaning of life is to achieve two main goals:
- Pure happiness
- Our own version of success
If you’re trying to achieve either one of these life goals, you’re going to have to connect with your inner self first. Writing and journaling are perfect ways to do so since you can openly write about any and everything. Writing can also lead to you learning more about your personality.
When I was going through my identity crisis, I would always write in my journal the life I wished to live. Sure, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do from that point, but I did know two things:
- I wanted to live a life of financial and loving abundance.
- I wanted to make a difference for a living.
As I continued to journal and experiment in my life, I eventually found my calling months later through writing for small businesses. Now, I’m in the process of living both of my initial goals thanks to the ideas and thoughts I released into my journal.
Professional Life
There are certain characteristics and skillsets that you must develop to thrive in the professional world. One of those skillsets is the ability to write in some form. If you’re wondering how journaling can tie into the professional world, then read on!
Helps You Become More Organized
Organization in the professional world means more than keeping the physical parts of the business orderly. It also means keeping all components of the business through writing orderly as well. Journaling can help with that by showing ways to organize business writing components.
For instance, journaling has partially exposed me to different ways of organizing my client assignments. I used to dive into assignments with no written out plan in place. Now, I can write out my plans for my client assignments in detail. This action allows me to have a higher approval and satisfaction rate for my clients and make the work I construct better!
Helps You Develop Crucial Business Skills
Once again, writing is everywhere you go, even within a business setting. Therefore, doing certain writing activities and exercises can expose you to those skills earlier in your career. If you’re looking for ways yourself, then consider working on some journal exercises.
For example, one exercise I always completed while journaling was listing the topics I wanted to discuss. Not only did that allow me to remember my main writing points, but it also helped me develop more writing skills to apply for my business.
Journaling should not be a dying habit. Instead, it should be a great tool for people to use to improve their careers and lives. And the best part is it takes nothing to start!
All you need is some time, an inspiring place to think, and a resource to jot your thoughts down. You could use a cheap journal from the dollar store or use a phone or laptop. Then, you let your brain and hand do the rest!
Let me know the effects of journaling in your life below! Have a safe weekend, y’all!
