Two Simple Ways to Journal, Constructively.
Why Maintain a Business Journal?
You cannot afford not to maintain a journal. The purpose of the business journal is to keep a historic log of key events in your business. You use it to write down what’s going good and bad. Learning from your history will help you to make better decisions in the future.
Do not lie to yourself that you are too busy. Another myth is that somehow you will be able to remember everything. Few people have photographic memory. Moreover, your business needs to have clarity and focus. Journaling will help you to discern whether or not you have sound logic behind your business decisions.
The best coaches you can ever find are your notepad and pen — Denise Lee (Business Coach)
Famous Entrepreneurs who Journaled
You will not be alone in journaling. There are numerous examples of entrepreneurs who maintained a business log.
Thomas Edison was a prolific note-taker, leaving behind more than 5 million pages at the time of his death in 1931. The notebooks, roughly 6x9 inches and averaging 285 pages each, record in minute detail everything from his business dealings to ideas for future inventions and patents.
You can read more about Thomas Edison and other famous entrepreneurs here.
Where to Store your Business Journal
Choose to keep a physical journal or write it on your computer. If you have an electronic journal, keep it on the cloud. That way you will be able to access it anywhere, anytime. I maintain my journals online using Google Docs.
Note for electronic journals: I highly suggest creating a Table of Contents (TOC), which will help you to search for information quickly.
Choose to keep a physical journal or write it on your computer. If you have an electronic journal, keep it on the cloud. That way you will be able to access it anywhere, anytime. I maintain my journals online using Google Docs.
Note for electronic journals: I highly suggest creating a Table of Contents (TOC), which will help you to search for information quickly.
How to Journal Constructively
You must have structure to get the most benefit from a business journal. It cannot be a random stream of thought where you chronicle every detail of your business day. Leave unstructured thought for your personal journal.
I recommend journaling by date or by subject. You may also choose to include Lessons Learned, Total Cost (in time or money) and Goals Achieved. Below are two examples of journals by date and by subject:
Share Your Journal with Others
Once you have your journal constructed, the next step is to share it with your business coach or accountability partner. Your business coach or accountability partner will be able to review each topic and see if you need to add or revise any information.
Originally published at https://www.deniseglee.com on April 28, 2020.
