Journaling: Total Waste of Time, Woo-Woo Nonsense or the One Thing that Will Help You FINALLY Crush Your Goals?

Answer these questions to determine if journaling could improve your lifestyle, health and chances for success.

Have you tried journaling before?

• Yes! I love my journal. I make an effort to write in it every day. It helps keep me motivated.
• Yes, I’ve tried, but my journal is full of mostly blank pages. 
• No, I don’t like to write. That’s all a journal is for, right?

Do you consider yourself an organized person?    

• Yes, being organized helps me get more done and saves so much time in the long run. 
• Sometimes; but I could use help in that area.
• No, I feel like my life is in constant disarray.

Do you set goals often?  

• Yes, I love setting goals and working to achieve them.
• Sometimes; but I usually give up on them before I accomplish anything.    
• No, what’s the point? I never make any progress anyway.

Are you a list maker?

• Yes! I love making lists! It helps me feel more productive.
• Occasionally; but I always seem to misplace them or forget what I’m doing anyway.
• No, unless you count my to-do list which gets bigger by the day.

Do you feel like you really know yourself – your wants, dreams and desires?

• Yes! I am deeply tuned in to who I am and what I want out of life. 
• Sometimes; I know what I want but have zero clue how to get there.
• No, I’ve always struggled with that. Does anyone really know what they want?  

Do you usually sleep well at night?

• Yes! My mind is at peace and I feel well rested every morning.
• No, I have too much on my mind to sleep well.
• No, I rarely sleep well. Too much going on in my life.

Do you ever write down your thoughts or the feelings that you’re going through?

• Yes, all the time. It helps me gain clarity on any problems that need to be resolved in my life.     
• Occasionally; but I don’t make a habit of it.
• No, what’s the point? It doesn’t change anything.

Do you ever celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small?     

• Yes! I make a habit of celebrating even the smallest of milestones and accomplishments. It keeps me on track.
• No, I never really accomplish much anyway.
• No, why bother? I’m not even close to where I want to be in life.

Do you practice gratitude?  

• Yes! I make a daily effort to notice and be grateful for the things in my life.
• Sometimes; but I’m not consistent.    
• No, I don’t make a habit of it. It’s hard to find things to be grateful for when the world is so crazy.

Do you try to live a mostly stress-free, positive life?

• Yes, I make an effort to be positive, no matter what the circumstance, which helps lesson my daily stress load.
• Sometimes; but only if things are going right in my life.
• No, it’s really hard to be positive. It feels like I’m always stressed to the max.  

For all those questions to which you answered YES, keep doing what you’re doing in these areas to keep maintaining a happy, productive and mostly stress-free lifestyle.

If you answered SOMETIMES or NO, it’s time to assess how journaling could assist you in living a happier, more organized and stress-free life. Of course, if you’re happy with your life, no changes are necessary, but if you’d like to experiment and experience how implementing some journal time could change your life for the better, try making a few tweaks here and there.

These changes don’t have to be life-altering; start small by adding one new habit a week. Take 5-10 minutes a day to write down your thoughts or be mindful of three things you are grateful for every day. Try setting some small goals and celebrate even the smallest of wins to keep yourself motivated. These small actions can lead to big changes over time.

There aren’t any point values involved in this assessment and no one will come back to check on whether you’ve made changes; but improving each of these answers toward the YES column will greatly increase your chances of maintaining a more positive, productive and organized life through the art of journaling.