One Habit that is Life-Changing.

Today, few of us have dedicated personal time to a very fast-paced work life. This session is supposed to be done in a YouTube project format; however, I have decided to dedicate a section on Personal Effectiveness that includes some productivity ideas sharing.

Journal: A Primitive Old-Fashion Habit.

Journal is perhaps one of the critical recommendations among many productivity Youtubers. It was once a hype given the rise of using a blog to convey daily thoughts and ideas. However, in recent years, the trend appears to have been overtaken by a broader trend of other social media tools. 

While some people prefer an e-journal, I think a physical journal brings a more significant impact. So, let me share why I think a journal improves our lives in a meaningful way.

Clear Mind, Confident Self.

Having a journal can improve our clarity. It builds awareness of your life. It motivates you to make a deliberate attempt to recall information, record it down, and review it at a later stage. It also prevents you from missing out on essential details in different stages of life and thus provides an enormous reservoir of self-reflection. 

Why do I like a Physical Journal?

When you are writing in a physical journal, recording the Content tends to be slower than typing them on a digital copy. The action of recalling may prompt you to think deeper about the scenario as you try to complete the sentence. Inevitably, this promotes clarity of your thoughts.

Content Vs Context.

When we try to recall some memory, our mind may work to dig out some facts on the idea we wish to retrieve. Say, for example, when we try to recall an incident when we have a conflict with someone, be it in school, work or family. As you think about the incident, you may get a rough idea of what happened back then. Thus, the nearer to the incident, the more accurate the memory might be.

I would call it a content retrieval mechanism activation.

Having a journal goes beyond the factual Content. As we write a journal, we often write it narratively—free-flowing, freestyle and inhibiting, continually adding doses of emotions, circumstances and reflection. The outcome is writing that talks about Context, rather than pure information of Content on what had happened.

Reflection using the Context

As we gain insights into our behaviour and realisation of our personal feeling of the incidents through our journey, we can appreciate little things in life and empower greater self-awareness of our thoughts and actions. Thus, this reflection journey often empowers our effectiveness in handling trying circumstances.

Going through the incidents or little stories provides us with the reservoir of opportunities to explore ways in which we could have done better in some instances of life. Thus, beyond having regret, it is being present in our current moment of life and staying engaged with our life progress.

Becoming a Better Self

What would we achieve with a journal? It is an avenue to soothe our feelings, celebrate personal achievement, mourn for loss and mistakes and most importantly, to re-invent ourselves.

If one habit can go freestyle, I would recommend having a journal as part of your life companion. A digital or physical copy is your call.

And I wish that it will be a liberating experience for you, just like how I had experienced it.

Cheers!