By Allen Rinehart
December 8, 2008
December 8, 2008
Did you know that they average person has 50,000 thoughts per day? How many of those thoughts actually get recorded? How many do we actually act on? For the next 30 days, I’m going to take those thoughts and write them down in daily journaling exercises. Each day, I’m going try a different exercise to figure the most effective way to use journaling on a daily basis.
(Photo Credits:RegalsGirl)
Hypothesis: I expect to learn a lot about myself during this 30-day trial. Many of the exercises focus on analyzing my own thoughts, emotions, and relationships with others, so I expect learn a lot. I’ve kept a diary off and on over the years, but its been mostly being just writing about day-to-day events. Journaling is more verstalie and can include many of the exercises listed below. I believe this experience will build a habit of using writing as a tool to analyze and solve my problems and help me focus on my goals. I also expect it to expand my creativity and make my life a little more fun.
Procedure: For this experiment, I’ll be writing in Google Docs to record my exercises. Some people prefer paper verus the computer. Personally, I use some of my writing for other purpose, so its easer to copy and paste a lot of the text. But pick whatever method you feel most comfotable with. Also feel free to experiment yourself. Below are 30 different journaling exercises I’ve put together to do on each day of the experiment.
- Ask yourself a question & list 20 answers. This technique comes from Brian Tracy’s book the Psychology of Achievement. It’s one of my favorite creative thinking techniques. If you have a problem, simple write the question (i.e. “How can I increase my income by 20% this year?) and fill in the answers. Be sure to create at least 20 though. Those last 5 answers will be some of the most profound because you’re really forcing yourself to think hard about the answer. (This list is the answer to the question, “What are 30 different things I could journal about everyday for a month?”)
- List your goals in life & why you want to achieve them. Write down everything you want to do, be and have. Really think about what you truly desire in your life. Journaling is a great way to remind yourself of what’s important to you in your life.
- Write down everything you need to do today and give the universe its own task list. This writing exercise comes from The Happy Human Blog. During this journal entry, make a task list of everything you need to do today and then assign everything not under your control to the universe (or God is you’re religious). This will make you realize that not everything is under your control and bring you peace because you know that you’re tasks are in the hands of a greater power.
- Play the Money Game - Double $1,000 everyday and decide what you’ll spend it on. This is another one from the Happy Human Blog. It’s called the money game. Technically, you could continue doing this throughout the entire month. What you do is give yourself a “pretend” check of $1,000 and decide how you’re going to spend it. You can’t save it unless you’re saving to buy something and everyday you double the amount you get. Have you ever thought about what its like to be rich? What types of financial decisions will you have to make when you actually have the money you desire? You can record your fictional purchases in your journal.
- Solve a problem. This could something you’re currently dealing with or maybe the problem of a some one your know. Write out exactly what the problem is and find a solution. Just identifying the problem can go a long way in actually solving it. If you don’t know what’s wrong than how can you fix it. Use the technique from #1 and write 20 solutions and a plan for accomplishing them.
- Describe a funny story from your past. We all have great stories from our past that come up from time to time when something in the conversation triggers it. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a whole series of stories at your disposable with vivid details that you could recall whenever you wanted, simply because you’ve written it down.
- Write a note to someone who’s hurt you and forgive them. Forgiveness is so freeing and this is perfect chance to write to someone in your past that’s hurt you and forgive them. Describe all the pain they caused you, but offer your forgiveness.
- Write to someone you’ve hurt and say your you’re sorry. Have you wronged someone else recently and felt guilty about it. Write them them a note apologizing for what you did.
- List your fears and solutions for overcoming them. What do you fear most and why? What’s holding you back from being the person you want to be? Write it down and figure out why. List certain emotions you feel when you experience this fear. List behaviors you have in reaction to these feelings. Just being more aware of what you’re going in your head puts you well above the rest of the world.
- List what you’re grateful for today. Being thankful for what you have will make you feel better about your current state. Most of us live in the future world where we’re constantly thinking about what we will get not what we have. Do you have clean running water? Do you have enough to eat everyday? A nice place to sleep every night? Not everyone does. This list is a great reference for next time you feel bad about your current situation.
- Create a list of everything you appreciate about someone. Do you work with someone and really appreciate the things they do for you? How about your parents or children. Maybe even someone you don’t know, but you see everyday. Write down 20 things you appreciate about someone. Why not even tell them. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.
- Create an action plan. Looking to start a new business? Have some important trip you’re about to go on soon. Why not write a plan of action plan . List everything you need to do accomplish your goal and when you’re going to do it by. Then get started on it today. Do it!
- Describe your ideal mate (or if you have one, what you love most about them). This is a good one for my since I’m certainly single. I don’t know many people that can describe the exact person they’d like to be. This may be someone who you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. Don’t you think you’d want to spend at least a little time thinking what you want. Write out some characteristics such as appearance, personality, social status, values, and interests. This area’s too important to leave to chance. Or if you’re in a relationship, be a do a “Ten Things I Love About” and give it to them.
- Give a friend advice. Does someone you know need help with a particular problem or need a advice about a situation? Why not write it down, so next time you see them you can talk to them about it. Everyone loves someone that can give great advice. (like the post you’re reading right now, aren’t you glad I wrote it down?…
) - Write a letter to a famous person, dead or alive. If you could write a letter to anyone in history, who would you talk to? What would you say? Better yet, pick someone still alive and actually send the letter to them. You never know, they could read and reply back!
- Describe your ideal day. What would a perfect day be like? Where would you go? What would you do? What would your morning routine be like? This will give you a good idea of what goals you want to have.
- Do self-therapy. Pretend you’re talking to a therapist and talk about a problem you have. With every statement follow it up with a question. Socrates was famous for only asking questions to teach his pupils. You can do the same with yourself. By asking yourself question about every thought have have you learn to objectify your beliefs and really understand their origins.
- Write an affirmation by hand 100 times. Take a belief that you really want to change and write it over and over again. Be sure that its positive and in the present tense. I prefer to do this by hand because the belief really begins to sink in as compared to typing it on a computer.
- Create some funny answers to the question, “What do you do?” We all get asked this question in all most every social situation we’re in. Why not have have sometime different to say than the typical, “I’m an engineer” or “I work in the restaurant”. My favorite is alter occupation to tell people is that, “I’m a hand model”. Really…how many hand models do you know? That one always get a laugh.
- Write the eulogy for your own funeral. None of us know when we’re going to die, so why not write the speech to your own funeral. What would you want people attending to know about you and your life? Write it in first person and communicate with everyone there. This really puts your current life in perspective and makes you realize what really matters. Why not even be a little funny? Everyone there is obviously going to be pretty sad about your lost. Make them remember the best memories you had to together. What last thoughts would you want everyone there to remember about you?
- Give advice to your family’s next generation. What would you want to say to your unborn grandchildren when they’re your age? What advice would you give them? What would you want them to know about your life?
- Write a song. Be a little a creative and write a song. Maybe even you’re own jingle.
- Write a poem. Here’s how to write an haiku. Here’s some examples. Write one expressing something meaningful that just happened to you.
- Offer a solution to one of society’s problems. One of the biggest problems in the U.S. as of the writing of the this post is the slowing economy. If you were president, what would be your solution? How would you solve the world’s energy crisis? End hunger? Poverty?
- Describe yesterday’s events in E-Prime. This is an interesting one. E-Prime is communicating without using “to be” verbs including be, is, am, are, was, were, been and being. It’s suppose to make your language more clear and easier to understand. With this exercise, you practice talking about your life without using those verbs. So if you were describing another person you might say, “That man is mean to me” or “She was so funny”, but instead say you could say, “That man appears to act aggressively towards me” and, “I see that girl as a very funny person”. Instead of actually making that person mean or funny, you separate the object from your own perceptions of what you’re objectify. Try this on talking about what happened to you yesterday.
- List your 10 greatest accomplishments and your life and why your proud of them. This is a simple one. And this is also a great list to keep around to refer back to. Why not even put it on your wall.
- List 10 beliefs you have about a certain area of your life. Is there a certain goal that you’re trying to accomplish and you have obsctales holding you back? Write them down. Write all of your beliefs down about this one area. Then objectify them. Ask yourself ,”Is this really true in all situations?”, “Is this what I really believe?”
- List 20 positive things about something or someone you hate. We all have things or people in our lives that we dislike. Take some time today and write out some positive praises about that thing or person. Being able to see the good in all things can really be a powerful skill.
- Describe a day in the life of someone else. A friend. A client. A co-worker. Your neighbor. Maybe someone who frustrates you and you don’t quite understand them. Write in the first person about what it’s like to be them. What do they do all day? What is their beliefs about the world? How do they perceive you?
- Analyze a dream you had last night. Write it down. Try to understand the significance of it. What does it mean? Here’s how to analyze your dreams.
Remember that all of these exercises are private, so you don’t have to share them with anyone. Don’t worry about editing them as you write. Just let the words flow out as is. The whole point is to use writing as a self reflection tool to better understand yourself.
Is there something that you’ve been worried about recently that you could journal on?
Is there somthing you’re confused about that can be solved by making a list?
Why don’t you try journaling this week?
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Reader Comments
As an on-again off-again journaller, would love to hear how you’re going with this.
BTW There’s an online version of the money game available from http://www.millionairemoneygame.com - I’ve done it a couple of times and it’s loads of fun.