How To Journal To Increase Your Productivity
A guide to utilizing writing to your advantage
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” — William Wordsworth
Journalling. It is when we spill our inner thoughts and desires onto paper; albeit it is your deepest darkest secrets or just a topic that has been bothering you.
Journalling is a powerful tool that can clarify our thoughts and ease our mind. It is the only way we can be understood.
Many find journalling pointless; what use is there to write on a blank piece of paper nobody will read?
But then again, why write on a blank piece of paper if there is nothing to be said?
Journalling is not pointless. It can be easing, calming, and ultimately, useful.
Here, I’ll show you how to journal to increase your productivity (either on paper or online, your call). Let’s go!
Journal in the Morning
Start your day fresh by picking up a notebook and writing instead of picking up your phone.
Journalling first thing in the morning is crucial for productivity because it allows us to start the day right and stay on track for the rest of it. Instead, if the first thing you do is pick up your phone, you will be practically setting yourself up for failure.
Starting your day right is like the first fish caught on a boat trip (and a big one at that).
Usually, if I pick up my phone the moment I wake up, the rest of the day I will feel sluggish and unmotivated. When I journal first thing in the morning, I am dedicated to keeping my prolific streak going.
No matter how tiny this small act is, journalling in the morning is the first step to becoming more productive.
Write What You Plan to Do
Writing what you plan to do that day in the morning allows you to go forward through the day with a set goal.
Regardless of how little the tasks are, declaring your plan in your notebook is going to entirely change how you act that day.
All you have to do is write a few short sentences about what you hope to fulfill that day and you are done!
To do this in an even more advanced way is to also list the tasks in order of importance or urgency. Utilise the Eisenhower Matrix after ranking your tasks to take efficiency to another level.
With this tiny act, you will be subconsciously setting your priorities straight. Small changes make a difference, and this small change makes a big one!
You can now go on with your day with a goal after writing down the tasks you wish to do.
Look Through Your Entry From the Day(s) Before
To read back is to reflect.
Even though we must not hold onto the past, reflecting on it is vital to improving ourselves for the future.
To do this in journalling, simply flip back to your most recent entry (or entries if you want) and reflect.
To reflect, think about what has happened, what you did, and how you can improve. Don’t think about what you could’ve done, think about what you can; the subtle difference makes a change.
After reflecting, you could write what you plan to improve on based on what you read from your past entry. This is quite like the previous point as it allows us to go forward with our day with a goal; in this case, it is not a task but how you act.
Reflecting on the past is powerful and much more useful than hopelessly thinking about it.
Write at Night Too
journalling at night doesn’t have a direct impact on productivity but does allay our restlessness.
Like journalling in the morning, journalling in the night benefits our health which will in turn allow us to become more productive.
By writing at night, you are confessing your feelings or disclosing what has been bothering you onto a piece of paper. This lets us relieve our mind and sleep better. Which will make us become more efficient and alert the next day.
To journal at night to better our health just write what comes to mind and let it flow. Don’t hold back. Blocking your true feelings is like blocking the airflow in your lungs; you’ll have to give in anyways.
Overall though, journalling at night simply clears your mind of all the negativity or workload you have faced from that day.
Journal at night to improve your mental health.
Assess Your Day
Assessing your day at night is just like reflecting on your day from past entries.
To do this, you first must write down (in detail if possible) what happened during the day. After this, analyse it; document the pros and cons of that day and your actions and how you could have improved.
Think of it like a diary but better.
If you aren’t much of a writer or purely don’t like writing a lot, try to write both the diary and the analyses of the day in bullet points. This will help all the picky writers and readers out there process your thoughts better.
And think of it like this: not only does this help you improve later on but it also makes reflecting on past entries very easy.
A bonus is that you will become much more mindful in all your future actions later on too.
Also similar to writing at night, assessing your day will help you not think about it later on. Win-win!!
Assess your day for better self-realisation, easier journalling, and an eased mind.
So what’s the takeaway from these 5 tips?
- Journal in the morning for a fresh start
- Write what you plan to do to go forward through the day with a goal in mind
- Look through past entries to reflect on the past and better understand your actions
- Journal at night too to keep your mind clear
- Assess your day to have more self-realisation
That’s pretty much it!
journalling for productivity doesn’t require as much hard work as it seems.
For the ones who do it “properly” (not “right” because there is no right or wrong in journalling), journalling can be calming and easing for the mind. Even fun sometimes!!
Don’t think of what it can do to you but think of what it can do for you: a lot.
