The end of year brings about an opportunity for us to reflect on the past year and use that for the year ahead. The Stoics, from Seneca to Epictetus, reflected daily and encouraged their students to do the same; “I will keep constant watch over myself and — most usefully —will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil—that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we …
Category: Journal Keeping Tips
The pandemic has drastically changed our lives in the past few months. Many of us are now staying home, working from home, taking care of the kids, or supporting the elderly and parents. Below, I wanted to share a few tips and reminders to help us through these times. 1. Make time for journaling — even if you have no time Would you say you are too hungry to eat, when hungry? Or too tired to sleep, when tired? Likewise, …
Did you plan on starting your journaling habit in 2017 but time just flew by? Well, you are not alone. In the beginning of my journaling journey, I faced similar setbacks. Below, I share 4 tips and tricks to kickstart your journaling habit in 2018 and beyond! 1. Understand your “why” why you want to keep a journal? If you don’t have a strong enough understanding of why, the chances are that you will not adopt this habit. Everyone wants …
Your journal is a very effective companion in helping you to make critical decisions. Using a journal will save you from mental overload, fears, mindless wander and other unpleasant experiences of decision making. In this blog post, I want to share how I have been making decisions using my journal. Furthermore, I will reference journals of other successful people – like Benjamin Franklin – and how they made decisions. Benefit of decision making with your journal Decision-making is an inevitable …
Keeping an audio journal is a convenient way to capture and articulate your thoughts. These days, you can easily press record on your mobile device to start your audio journal entry. Below, I share what I have learned from keeping an audio journal as a part of my journaling habit. Furthermore, I will review its benefits and share apps to help you start keeping an audio journal. I have kept an audio journal as part of my journaling habit. I …
Edison was, without a doubt, one of the most productive inventors of all time. He was awarded 2,332 patents—the third most of any American—including many that continue to affect our lives today: the electric generator, electric pen, fuel cell, storage battery, and motion pictures. Edison’s success didn’t spring from a single moment of inspiration—rather, it was the result of a deliberate approach to changing the world. Throughout Edison’s life, journaling was a consistent practice, capturing not only the his inventions …
In my quest to study the journals of successful people, Benjamin Franklin has not only been near the top of my list but also has been most request by many of you who kindly write to me. Franklin has intrigued me due to his self-made success, start starting from humble beginnings and rising to become a successful printer, writer, musician, inventor, and, of course, Founding Father of United States. Many, including myself, are aware of Franklin’s life accomplishments. But I wondered what processes he …
Dr. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz and I got together to discuss what journal keepers (any anyone else) can learn from his book Everybody Lies – What the Internet can Tell us About who we Really Are. We discuss how we can become more aware of their deception – to self and others – so they can live better lives. For journal keepers, please see refer to the self-reflective questions at the bottom of this article that you should ask write out in …
Time and time again, from their writings and journals, I have come to realize that the heroes that I look upto are shockingly human under their “hero disguise”. That is a humbling find as I continue my quest to learn from the journals of these perfectly human heroes. This month I studied the journals of Albert Einstein – a man who needs no introduction but certainly needs to be recognized for his less well known meticulous journaling habit. The rest …
Despite being most well-known for his paintings, as time passes, his true legacy has become his journals (aka notebooks) – so much so that Bill Gates bought a collection of them for $30 million dollars. Unlike Bill Gates, I don’t have millions of dollars to buy da Vinci’s original journals but I did still spend the currency of my time reading his biography and observing his journals so I can improve my habit of keeping journals. Now, wanting to understand …