THE WAY PEOPLE ARE USING JOURNALING TO HELP DEVELOP GOOD HABITS

Having dreams & goals can be an interesting thing. One moment, you have a burning desire to get started and achieve the ‘things’ you’ve always wanted to do, and the next moment all you want to do is forget about all of your problems with a glass of wine & Netflix. Having the self control and discipline to stick with something, day in and day out, is difficult no matter who you are. But, when you do follow through with the goals that you have created for yourself, and your dreams start to become reality, that is what brings you the most life, and makes you feel the best about yourself.

Unfortunately, there is no self-help book, podcast, inspirational quote, or relationship that will be able to achieve those things for you. However, there are many tools to help you stay motivated, encouraged, and (hopefully) disciplined. 

One great way to stay on the right track is called bullet journaling. Unlike daily or reflection journaling, bullet journaling does not require you to write every day (or hardly at all), and it only requires a minimal amount of time to complete each day. To reach your long term goals is by developing small, attainable habits every day. The best way to utilize bullet journaling to help with your habits is to start a habit tracker. 

Instructions:

-At the beginning of every month, you’ll create a list of things that you’d like to do every day (see our list below). 

-On the far left hand side, vertically number each line 1-30/31 (one for every day of the month).

-At the top of the page, horizontally write in different colors various habits you want to keep up with. Usually people write down 5-10 things.

-Every day, circle in the habit you did that day in the correct color. By the end of the month, you’ll have a great visual of what you struggle with and what is developing into a habit!

Here is a copy of Olympic runner, Colleen Quigley’s bullet journal.

Idea list:

-Exercise (stretching, core, running, weight-lifting, biking, swimming)

-Sleep 8 hours

-Spiritual growth (meditation, prayer, reading, honesty)

-Eating healthy (no fast food, vegetables, fruit, no processed food, certain vitamins)

-Stimulants/depressants (no alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar)

If you like the idea of bullet journaling, but don’t quite know if habit tracking is the way you want to go, there are plenty of great ways to journal in a helpful way. Here is a list of downloadable templates to fit your personality best. Included are things like a monthly payment planner, savings tracker, mood tracker, fitness planner, and tons more! Consider printing one out and putting it in a binder to help you stay organized. If you think you’ll try bullet journaling, snap a pic, put it on social media, and use #myshefactor so we can see how you’re keeping track of your habits!