Writing

10 Benefits of Journaling through Your Success Journey

Success Habits, Success Keys

So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life. – Proverbs 4:23 (The Passion Translation)

This is a very exciting time of the year for me! I love the newness that the season of Christmas and the celebration of the Old Year into the New Year brings.

It is also a time of reflection, thanksgiving and planning. Actually, since October, I have started seriously thinking and praying about what I would like to accomplish and experience in 2018 and beyond. With the new season approaching, I also began reviewing my goal setting workbook and decided finally to publish it and post Amazon to share with you.

For years, I have been setting goals and accomplishing most of them (once I set the goals and work at them J). Of course, there have been setbacks and setups or highs and lows to working towards the goals but for the most part the journey has been good. I have seen some of my goals accomplished but I have even removed some of them from my list too. Then there are some aspirations that no matter how long they seem to be taking, I can’t shake them off and someday I will see them become living successes in my life!

Journal writing
Image credit: inspirestock / 123RF Stock Photo

However, I have noticed that along the way, with my goals process in hand (in various ways since I didn’t always have it so neatly put together), there has been a constant to working through my goals that I haven’t mention before. I love to journal. I have several books in all shapes, sizes, styles and colors that hold my thoughts, dreams (night visions), feelings, prayers, etc. throughout the years of my life. Occasionally I would take a page or two from one of my journals and read them. I am often amazed at way God spoke to me through those pages that I wrote or as I look back I see how much God has done in my life. Reflecting through my journals leaves me with a heart of gratitude and praise to my God for His faithfulness.

One thing I did this year in the Make Your Year a Living Success Goals Workbook was to add a section on journaling. I thought it necessary to include this as important element to the goal-setting and goal-getting process because of the benefits that you can gain from journaling. Whether you set goals or not, journaling has a way of adding great value to your life. Journaling ….

  1. Helps you to express your inner thoughts through writing.
  2. Frees you to share who you are with yourself and with God. Thus you get to know yourself better.
  3. Gives clarity to your life’s journey. You gain a better perspective of your circumstances and are able to solve problems easier.
  4. Reflects on the past and present and prepares you to look ahead to the future with enthusiasm and hope.
  5. Clears your mind of the clutter – mental, emotional and spiritual clutter – and positions you to a place of gratitude.
  6. Teaches you that your life isn’t so bad after all and that you are doing some things right.
  7. Refreshes and renews your inner you – giving you the opportunity to turn over a new leaf in life.
  8. Is considered to be beneficial to your overall health but strengthening certain immune cells and reducing stress.
  9. Boost your intelligence and creativity. Personally, I find that journaling helps me to focus more on God, new ideas come easily and my writing improves.
  10. Helps you set the course of your life. It allows you to guard your heart – your thoughts, your will, your discernment, and your affections. As you journal, you see firsthand where you need to improve but also what is working for you. Journaling helps you to keep and/or bring your life into divine order – into alignment to God’s will.

I would encourage you to consider journaling especially when you’re feeling a bit weighted down with life’s happenings. Yes, I know that this could be one more thing added to your to-do list but don’t look at it as another burden. Rather view it from the perspective of being life building and life strengthening. Consider it as part of your “Me time” to refresh you so that you can be all you need to be and grow to be a better you as your life progresses.

How to journal? Hmmm… freely! Write from the heart. Get a book that you designate as your journal and keep in private! Knowing that it’s yours and not available for other eyes to see makes it easier to write the deep thoughts concerning your life.

Journal on a regular basis – daily or weekly – or as you see the need to. I don’t journal every day so when I do I write a lot! A set time and place where you can write without interruption is very preferable, so give careful thought to this. Early in the morning or last thing at night are usually the best times for journal. Anyways, you choose what is best for you based on your lifestyle.

In all this, commit your journaling to the Lord and enjoy the time alone with you!

Do you journal? What takeaway have you received from this post? I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts. Write a comment below.

Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. – Proverbs 16:3 (NKJV)

Make Your Year A Living Success Year Goals Workbook is available in the following formats:

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6 Ways Reading Can Improve Your Life

Spiritual Success

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

—2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP)

Reading
Reading the Bible

I love reading the Bible. If there is one book I can read over and over and constantly learn from it, it is the Bible. It’s the compass of my life. I can always look to the Word to help me make sound decisions. It’s always a comfort to me. The Bible is total true about our humanness – it doesn’t hide anything. It expresses the human heart and as well as God’s heart. Reading the Bible as well as other good books has helped me grow in my Christian walk.

I would certainly encourage you to develop the habit of reading every day. It would help you progress through life as well as bring other benefits. Reading good books can:

1.     Ignite your imagination.

A novel or a book that includes storytelling helps you to create a vivid picture in your mind. This makes the process of reading more real to you. The material becomes more enjoyable and easier to remember when you put your imagination into action.

2.     Help you develop ideas.

Whether you are reading a fiction or non-fiction book ideas can quickly surface to your mind. Ideas related to personal improvement, career or business development, building your family life, growing in your Christian walk or other area of your life. Reading can help you develop ideas that effect positive change in your life or other people lives.

3.     Increase your knowledge base.

The beauty of a book is that it is a quick study on a specific subject area. You can learn from the experiences of others and from the hours of research the author invested into his/her work of writing. What may have taken you hours, days or months of effort to research is compiled for you. With a book in hand you it will take you less time to gain the knowledge and understanding on any topic of importance to you.

4.     Develop your communication skills.

One thing is sure, the more you read, the better a command of the language you gain. Reading makes you a better communicator. If you’re not confident in writing or speaking, regular reading will sharpen these skills.

5.     Be a form of relaxation or therapy.

That may seem weird to some because we often associate reading with studying. But personally, reading is a pleasure for me and most of (if not all) my free time is reading time. I don’t read the comics or the novels that would be considered light material but once I read within my scope of interests I enjoy it. That’s why I often end my days with a cup of tea and a good book or the Bible before going to sleep.

6.     Bring success and God’s approval.

When you read and make careful and discipline study of God’s word, you are approved by God (2 Timothy 2:15). God is pleased when we make a strong effort to learn of Him and draw close to Him. Not only that, one of the essentials to a successful and prosperous life is to read the Word of God day and night, to meditate on it and to do what God says in His Word (Joshua 1:7-8). Every successful person reads. Reading is an important element of personal growth and success.

It is often said that when you stop reading, you stop learning and growing. Since you and I don’t want to live a stagnated life, we must develop or keep up the habit of reading.

Here are some of the ways you can keep the reading habit alive:

  1. Set aside time every day to read – early in the morning, at lunch, or before bedtime.
  2. Maximize your time while you are on the go – read on the train or bus, on the airplane, or wherever you know you’ll have at least half hour of reading time. Plan ahead for these opportunities to read.
  3. Consider other alternatives to reading – listen to an audio book, view an infographic or watch the video of a book (I liked The Ultimate Gift).
  4. Take advantage of technology. Apart from the printed books you can now read books on e-readers, mobile phone, tablets. Take your pick.
  5. Have a copy of a book wherever you go. Again it’s easy to carry books around thanks to technology but I often have a hard copy book with me if technology fails me or I just prefer to have the feel of a book in my hands.
  6. Challenge yourself. Set a goal to read at least one book a month or two books a month if you like. Even if you fall behind in keeping up, a few hours of dedicated reading time can bring you back in line.

My challenge to you this week:

Choose a book that you’ve wanted to read for a long time and assign a time to read it every day. Share what you’re reading along the way with family or friends.

I am sure there are other ways reading can improve your life that I haven’t mentioned. Please share how the habit of reading has benefited you. I’d love to hear from you.

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Simplify Your Life: Clear Your Mind

2 Comments / Simplify Your Life

Then the Lord answered me, “Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly. (Hab.: 2:2, GW)

I love writing (I guess that might be obvious by now). I always have a notebook and pen or my blackberry which I make full use to write notes, reminders and ideas. But we often overlook writing as a practice that can bring simplicity to our lives. Our minds can become cluttered and over-loaded with many details. If we don’t release all the to-dos, the dreams, the visions on paper, we begin to see the smallest tasks as big problems. Even in our thoughts we need to keep it simple.

Journal writing
Image credit: inspirestock / 123RF Stock Photo

For example, the thought about this series came to me while reviewing my emails. At first, my intention was to jot down a few points and to get back to it later. However as I started to write, I had to clear my mind and write everything I wanted to say. Whenever I get an idea or remember something I need to do but the time isn’t right, I have to write. Usually at night this would happen to me. I think I write and develop ideas better at night (that’s an Ah Ha moment there for me)! If I do not write out what came to mind, I become restless. Sometimes, I’d be reluctantly get out my bed and do (usually write) what I needed to before I could go to sleep.

So, we don’t just write when it comes to setting our goals or making life plans but writing is useful for keep any area of your life simple. For example, you can write a home to-do list, have an idea book for projects you want to do in the future, or plan your vacation. My Mum always says that when you make notes you have something to refer to and what you have to do won’t be easily forgotten. Here are some writing habits you can develop.

Simple Life Habits For Everyday Success
  • Write down your goals – short term, medium term, long term and life-time.
  • Gives clarity and definition to your life.
  • Regularly review your plans – daily do something that pertains to your overall plans
  • Keeps you focused on your goals and helps you to keep moving forward.
  • Always take a notebook and pen with you. If you have a smart phone, use it well – write notes, set appointments or reminders of tasks you have to do.
  • Clears your mind of the small details so you can think and work through important tasks.
  • Keep a journal – a prayer journal, a gratitude journal, a just-expressing-thoughts journal, a what-I-did-today journal
  • A great way to express yourself, appreciate God and relax your mind.
  • Express your thoughts and cares to the Lord and ask Him for wisdom.
  • Peace of mind is certain when you place God in the midst of your life. You will make good life decisions and not be stressed.

Apart from these tips on writing to help simplify your life, remember this: Do what you have to do when you have to do it. This would help you avoid rehashing things over and over in your mind and remove overwhelming feelings.

Do you write your thoughts down? Do you keep a notebook, a journal or have any kind of writing habit that has helped you to keep life simple? Share your thoughts.

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