Why I Start My Day with My Journal

Some people write in their journal in the evening, unwinding and reflecting on their day. I prefer to start my day with my journal using it to make it a great day. Here is how I use my journal to set a positive mood for the day.

I get worries out of my head. "Sufficient unto each day are the worries thereof." (I know it's from the Bible, I just can't remember the book and verse.) Sometimes I wake up anticipating the troubles that might crop up and without my journal I might be off on a day of worry and wheel-spinning. To cut anxiety short, I open my journal and start pouring out all that worry onto the page. My worries are short-circuited. The act of writing down a worry lets my brain knows I am not going to forget about it. There is no need to keep reminding me, no need to dwell on it. What’s more I use my journal to brainstorm possible solutions.

I focus my thinking. I can plan my day on paper. It doesn’t mater if I use my journal to write a To Do list, a shopping list, or just think about how I am going to handle the day’s tasks. My journal gives me a place to think before I jump into my day with both feet.

I write affirmations. To put myself into a positive state of mind, I write affirmations in my journal. I don’t wait for anyone else to say what I need to hear. I know what I need and I write that positive thought five times. As the thought flows from my brain to my hand to the page in front of me, it takes residence in my being.

I daydream on paper. This is one of my favorite ways to use my journal. It is almost like a stream-of-consciousness affirmation. I write about what I would love to be doing – my ideal life. I describe in detail where I would be, what I would be doing, who would be with me. I describe my ideal habits. The more I write about these ideas, the better I see ways to make them real.

When I daydream about exercising every day, I am reminded that that is possible. I don’t have a personal trainer, but nothing is stopping me from taking the dog for a walk as soon as I finish writing. I picture myself in a warm, sunny place in the winter, and I know that I can’t afford a month in the desert. I can afford a visit to my daughter in Denver which is always warmer than Chicago, and has the added benefit of allowing me to see her and her family.

That's the way I like to journal. What about you?