Journaling!  Yes, it's been made into a verb, kind of like 'antiquing' right.  But kidding aside, the power of journaling can transform your life.  Yet many ask 'why' does it transform my life, just writing down the words in my head on to paper?  Well here is what it does for you; 1) it keeps you focused, so those thoughts don't just wander off and you lose your attention on them; 2) it forces you into reflection, to be reflective on what has happened to you and how you are feeling about it; and 3) it helps you commit in a more real way to your goals moving forward.

Reflection and getting introspective into your thoughts, your actions, your intentions behind the events of your life is the first and the biggest step to creating the change you want in your life.  But it is also a major step in continuing the good things coming into your life that are most pleasing to you.  When you stop to journal and write down your thoughts it forces you to really identify not just how you feel, but why you feel that way.  It forces you to be introspective.  Then you get into a place where you can identify what events, what actions you take, what intentions create an unpleasing event, and which ones create the events you want more of in your life.  From there you can clearly set your intentions on the change you need to make, or to continue doing that which is working well for you.  It helps you identify and set your purpose, your meaning in this life.

Then you come to the point where people will tell you they see the power in journaling, but they just aren't sure how to do it effectively.  They stare at the paper on their journal and aren't sure what to start writing.  So let me give you some advice I learned along the way that has worked well for me, and it is really very simple.  (I journal best in the mornings, so these questions are posed in that timeframe, but if you like to journal at the end of your day then just adjust these questions to say "today and tomorrow" instead of "yesterday and today"):

1.  First start off by writing your answers to this question; "What lessons did I learn from yesterday?"

2.  Then answer this question; "What goals do I want to accomplish today to make my day feel like a success?"

3.  Then write about anything else that comes to mind; any relationship issue, any personal issue, anything you feel you want to get off your chest.  Or any insights you had, any random thoughts that inspired you.  This is your free-play, so let it go wherever the pen takes you.  Somedays this might be nothing, somedays fun and playful, and other days this might be a release you need.

4.  Then it can be fun and get your mind in a creative mode by writing about the big ideas you have, the big dreams, or any crazy wild ideas that have popped in your head.  Try asking yourself "If I could invent anything at all, what would I want to invent?"  Or "What is a big dream of mine?"  Just a few minutes of creativity can wake up your imagination to serve you throughout your whole day.

Pretty simple right?  The thing I like about the first question especially is not just in the introspective nature of it, but it creates a proactive response in your brain as well - because now you know that each day you need to write about the lesson you learned, thus you become more observant in your days to looking for those lessons.

I know it all sounds very simple, but these 10-15 minutes each day can make for powerful change in the life you want to make happen.  Just remember, there aren't rules to it, just pick up your pen, or jump on your keypad, and make it happen.

Authored by:   www.WisdomsTorch.com