Journaling is a great way to learn about yourself. Seeing things on paper is a little different than just thinking about them. Reflecting on your day and your thoughts can be a powerful tool for self-awareness and personal growth.
You can learn something new about yourself each day, but only when you are intentional of doing so. Journaling provides the insight to make positive changes to yourself and your life.
Use these journaling techniques to help you learn more about yourself, while also enhancing your personal growth through self-awareness:
1. Make journaling a habit. Set aside 10-20 minutes each morning or evening and make journaling a habit. Pick a time that works best for your life. The most important thing is being consistent. When you take out the time to journal daily, you create a space for spending quality time with yourself to operate in a place of self-love and appreciation. When you journal each day, you give yourself the opportunity to tell your life story. To reflect on positive thoughts and release the shortcomings and hurt of your day.
2. Begin your day with words or end your day by reflecting. If you prefer to journal in the morning. You can write about the dreams you had, goals for the day, to-do lists, or your plans to ease your busy mind. If you are more of a night owl, prefer to journal in the evening, you can start your entry by reflecting on your day. Things you did, goals that were achieved, issues of the day and plans for the next day. Record anything you might want to remember in the future, whether it’s a day or 50 years from now. Hit the highlights and be willing to be honest with yourself. I still go back and read my journal entries from high school. All I can say is I loved Justin Timberlake…lol But really some of my thoughts were so profound for a 16year old girl, my poems, emotions and thoughts were so important to me. Now, as a woman, I am amazed by my personal growth in my self-esteem and self-worth. What I thought then about myself or my dreams, I feel now I am my wildest dream!
3. Look for ways to improve. When you lay out your day in front of you, you’ll notice ways you can improve. It might be dealing with your attitude, difficult people more effectively or deciding to look for a new job.
4. List your challenges and shortcomings. Write about the challenges you’re facing in your life. Be honest with yourself, your writing is for your eyes only. Put them down on paper and see them from a different perspective.
● What are your personal shortcomings? Are you impatient? Do you want to work on your social skills? Do you lack goals? What can you work on to enhance your qualities or skills? I write about my fears of public speaking. Although I enjoy socializing with family and friends. I fear rejection from people I do not know so I journal my fears and I write affirmation to overcome my shortcomings. I write my prayers to God and the vision I dream for my life.
5. Use writing prompts. There are journals that use journaling prompts. These are questions you can ask yourself and then write your responses to them. Here are several to get you started:
● My three greatest strengths are…
● My three greatest weaknesses are… (also list some ways to overcome them.)
● My version of success is…
● I would be happier if…
● If I could travel anywhere, it would be…
● My biggest mistake was…
● If I could start over, I would…
● The most important things I can do to improve my life are…
● How would you like to be remembered?
● What is something you want to learn? Why?
● Describe yourself in detail. Include the positive and the negative.
6. Review your life. This could take a few hours or more. Start at the beginning and record your thoughts on your life. Write about your home life and schooling as a young child. What were the mistakes you made along the way?
● How have you ended up where you are?
● How have your perceptions and understanding of life changed over the years? What do you want to change going forward?
● If you could redo certain parts of your life, what would you do instead?
