Back to the Grind - Reasons to keep a Work Journal
Buh-Bye August and hello, September! Gone are the days of grinding mountains under the warm Vancouver sun and in come the time to grind out Q3 at our workspaces, only to wonder where the year went. Thankfully, this turning point in weather and work shines a beacon of light: it’s peak agenda & journal season! The more we brainstorm reasons why you should keep a work journal, the more we can’t think of a reason why you shouldn’t.
Why it’s worth it
Logging your daily affairs also gives you the opportunity to learn from your fumbles and triumphs, no matter how small or big. From hosting your very first event for a massive crowd to scoring a home-run on a pitch meeting, it’s never a bad idea to reflect and debrief everything that went down so you can approach your next project with more focus and cohesion. On top of this, tracking your progress over time will also put things into perspective; it’s hard to recognize how far we’ve come when we’re going slow and steady, but baby steps accumulate over time and you’ll probably go farther than you thought you would in a single year!
Another way journals enhance our lives is that it helps document our daily activity objectively and authentically. We all know how our feelings can rewrite our feelings, so having this archive of true events will help you notice trends in your thoughts and reactions and therefore gain more insight on what your mindset really is like. When you discuss your own affairs, do you take too little or too much accountability? What is your personal perception of your clients? Taking the time to perform a critical analysis of yourself will make you a greater asset not only to your personal life but also your professional life as well.
Also, a side note... If you’re still not convinced by the magic of journaling and think it’s better left for teenage angst, this 2013 psychosomatic study reveals that offloading your stress and burdens into words can literally heal your physical wounds. If that’s not reason enough to journal, we really don’t know what is!
Additional ways to use your journal
The best part about journals is that they’re fully customizable, and that’s when you can really make your book complement your lifestyle. Here are some potential segments that we think could add value to your life on a daily basis:
Backlog random thoughts + ideas. Just in case it’s not the right place or right time, you can save your creative or entrepreneurial dreams in your journal to serve as inspiration for later projects.
Collect compliments. The dark days are coming, my friend. If you’re the type of person whose mood is heavily affected by the weather, having a little archive of compliments that you’ve received can be a major
Store photos, tickets, and other souvenirs. This is a great way to remind yourself to live in the present and appreciate where you are right now!
Go on a bucket list rampage...And write down all the things you want to accomplish within the next 365 days, the next 5 years, and the next decade. The satisfaction is real when you get to cross items off your outrageous bucket list!
Start a declutter list. We’ve all got some regrets, guilt, and worries that we carry around every day – many times, it’s a huge misuse of our imagination. Drop your unhealthy fixations on your exes, your competition, and other negative influences in your life so you can better focus on your own growth and success with this segment.
Just start now.
Journalling is such an easy thing to put off – while it’s probably something we all “wish we have time for,” it’s not really a matter of when or how you use your work journal, it’s better to keep in mind why you’re documenting the details of your work life. Whether you’re doing it for personal growth or organization, reap from the collateral benefits that come with keeping a handy little book by your side at all times!
If you’ve got any other tips and tricks on journal maintenance and reasons why you journal, we’d love to hear all about it.