Confessions of A Cheapo: Why I Struggle to Purchase Journals Sold by My Heroes
When you don’t have the budget, you’re forced to make the “regular stuff” just as good
Journals (no doubt) can make your dreams come true.
It is the tool that got me from feeling depressed to feeling more excited about life. Its superpower lies in its ability to make you aware of yourself: who you are at this point in life, what you dream of having more of in life, what makes you tick, or what pisses you off.
The transformation took me more than 5 years to notice.
It was a slow transformation, but it’s a guaranteed transformation.
Now, it’s not unheard of that successful people also use a journal to help them further their dreams and goals in life. This is probably why they are selling their own versions of journals. Each is crafted to help you succeed in a specific area of your life. That could be better habits, living a richer life, or reaching your full potential. I’m tempted to buy all of them.
I ask myself, “How much would I pay to significantly increase my chances of achieving my dreams in life?”
Paying $100 is a bargain
I’m unable to put a monetary value on a product that would make my dreams come true.
When I ask myself, “Is this journal worth it?”, the answer is almost always “yes”. But the problem has less to do with “worth”; the problem has to do with my budget. However, at the same time, the budget shouldn’t be a concern either because when one is determined, any product (regardless of its quality) will work.
What makes a product a “good” product, has less to do with its content but more with how someone is able to get results from it.
When these “carefully-crafted-specifically-to-your-needs” types of journals did not exist, what did these successful people use to help them reach their goals in life?
My guess is that they also had the “regular/plain” stuff. The only difference is that they were more determined to make their dreams come true. At the end of the day, a journal is just a tool to help you achieve your dreams — nothing else.
Let’s not forget that the cycle of taking action, failing, learning and adjusting accordingly is what makes dreams come true.
I wouldn’t need it if I’m ok with what I already have
I bought the Five-Minute Journal back then (because I’m a Tim Ferriss listener).
It wasn’t cheap but I was determined to make changes in my life. Was it worth it? Hell yeah! The journal made me a happier person. But would I buy it again? Yes, but not right now. I’m already happy and content with what I have. The need (to buy another Five Minute Journal) is unlikely going to happen any time soon. It’s been 5 years and I still benefit from its effects.
Now, do I see the journals (sold by my heroes) have the same effect on me?
Yes, but I’m not ready to buy them just yet simply because the plain and regular journal is working just fine.
Sure, the typical journal may not be as effective (at steering your thoughts in the right direction) but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. I’m not in a rush to succeed. I don’t mind going through all of its inefficiencies. That may cost me extra effort, time, pain or regret, but in the end, I have experience.
First-hand experience is what makes someone better and confident in what they do.
The journals were created to reduce the mental strain of figuring it out on your own
The downside of using plain journals is the obvious fact that they are blank.
When you’re new to journaling, you probably don’t even know where to start. The first time I started journaling, it felt to me like I was writing a diary. That made me feel icky because it made me feel like a teenager writing about my crush.
But over time, I learned to treat journals more like a notepad for analyzing why I think what I think or why I did what I did. It is a tool for analyzing the actions of my current self to get to where I want to be in the future. While that’s good and all that, I also can’t help but feel like I can be more effective at it.
This is why I find it difficult to dismiss what these carefully crafted journals can offer.
I’m fully aware that there are questions I’m not asking myself that would influence my actions more effectively. As Tony Robbins said, “The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of the questions you are asking yourself.”
Coming up with good questions is hard when you have no experience. A lot of times, you don’t even know what to ask! That’s what’s special about the journals I’m referring to: they contain questions I never considered before.
There’s no doubt that the questions listed in their journal will motivate me to take action.
The struggle I have has less to do with whether I should buy it or not. It has more to do with when I’m going to buy it. Everything will stay as is until there’s a desperate need for it.
If you’re in desperate need to change something in your life, here’s my wishlist that could help you make that change permanently:
