7 reasons why you should write a journal

You might be aware of journaling as a self-reflection exercise that leads the way to get clarity on what is there on your mind. But, there is definitely more to it. Here is a list of 7 ways (write a journal) in which the act of reflective journaling may transform your personality.

1. One of the best Self-help tool

Journaling helps you identify your desires, motives and intentions. You also begin to identify toxic ideologies, mindset and thought patterns and make appropriate adjustments. You start creating a better version of self by scrutinizing, trimming and editing these unhelpful patterns.

With regular journaling practice, you gain self-confidence to handle life challenges more efficiently as you become completely aligned with your beliefs and values.

2. You start with the person in the mirror

As you write, you intentionally identify areas of life that can improve. Journaling helps you to do a correct SWOT Analysis and you learn to identify those hidden characteristics and resources, opportunities and strategies that you can take advantage of.

You become wiser to use your skills, personality traits, abilities and other assets that were unexplored or underused as your strengths. At the same time, you find methods and techniques to improve your weaknesses, flaws and deficiencies.

3. You learn to move into other person’s experiences

It is only after you successfully still yourself that you begin to pay attention to your mind and thoughts. This helps you develop patience and discipline to pay attention to others in your environment.

Using multiple lenses to evaluate or perceive a situation from different perspectives enhances your emotional quotient or EQ. Once you value your own stream of thoughts, feelings and belief systems, you subconsciously start valuing the same in others and become more empathetic.

4. You master the art of listening and communication

By being a skillful listener to your own thoughts, you become more empathetic to other people’s emotions and statements. Journaling enhances your ability to understand, utilize and manage your emotions in positive ways leading to effective communication, problem solving and better decision making.

5. Deepen your relationships with loved ones

Amplified listening skills will help you associate better with others. You become proficient to help, inspire, influence, communicate and build powerful bonds with people.  With this ability to successfully interpret your emotions as well as those of others, you are able to accurately decipher and discern how to respond appropriately in diverse situations.

6. You get an edge over other as a leader

Journaling helps you to strengthen your Leadership Skills. Self-reflection helps you consistently reassess and spot your loopholes and you learn to decode means of fixing those flaws. You can find out the blind spots and avoid presenting yourself in wrong ways.

Self-reflection helps in avoiding the unnecessary errors in decision making caused due to our sometimes-misleading emotions.

A better leader takes better decisions based on correct evaluation of options. Self-reflection helps leaders become aware of problematic performance features leading to enhanced ability to offer effective solutions as a leader.

7. You gain wisdom to live a purpose driven life

As you constantly reassess yourself through reflective journaling, you start defining your vision and intention and start living a purpose driven life.

I hope you are now immensely inspired to start your journal writing practice immediately. I am going to guide you through the process in my next article. Stay tuned.

PS: You may contact ‘Wellbeing help’ in Gurgaon to get enrolled for a ‘Therapeutic Journal Writing Programme’.