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Did you know that productivity journaling can benefit your life in so many ways?
Throughout this blog I cover a few different categories, such as self care, organisation, and writing tips. The fact is, journaling, and productivity journaling in particular, all have an impact and a place within these topics.
Utilising journaling and a daily planner for so long, I’ve become quite an expert on the matter. If you’ve read my blog on ways to help stay organised, you’ll know that I’ve become accustomed to using a planner since I was 11.
The good habit has carried on throughout my life and changed it quite significantly, mastering the habit through my continuous use.
If you want to get a bit more structure and clarity within your life, you’re in need of some productivity journaling!
What is productivity journaling?
First and foremost, what is it? People like to journal for many different reasons, so what makes this one different?
I would say the most important aspect to this form of journaling is making sure you’re writing with intention. It’s a type of journaling that aims to help you increase your productivity, in all aspects of your life.
For example, you could use it to plan ahead, structure your work day, help you learn more about yourself, or to practice manifestation and gratitude with purpose.
Intention and accountability are two pillar stones that contribute towards productivity. Journaling is a key way to better integrate it within your life and help you set out to what you want to achieve, guiding you through writing.
What are some of the benefits?
Why should you utilise this tool and what are the benefits?
To premise, this will largely be down to how you want to use it – with the overall, obvious goal leading towards an improvement in productivity.
But you will also expect to see additional benefits, such as:
- Improved clarity and focus
- Reduced stress, anxiety and overwhelm
- More motivation to chase your goals and succeed
- Better mood and overall confidence
You may find that everyone always hyper-focuses on productivity and why our efforts need to be more intentional. Journaling can be a way to navigate that need on your own terms, helping you to decide what is productive and how it is going to benefit you.
I find journaling and planning to be beneficial in so many ways, most of which I have highlighted above and in different posts. Freeing your mind up from countless thoughts and getting it out onto paper is incredibly useful, and even cathartic at times!
Tips to get started
So, you want to get started with productivity journaling? As long as you’ve got a notebook, it’s easy!
The reality is, you don’t need any special books, journals or planners to achieve productivity. Any old notebook and biro will do for now. If you’re looking to get started, one of the best things to do is start simple.
Take out your notebook, and start out by deciding your intentions.
Are you going to plan your days, looking at today and tomorrow? Do you want to work towards specific goals, and the steps you need to take to achieve those? Maybe your head is full of worries and you just need to get all your thoughts out onto paper?
When you’re beginning, you might want to try a combination of things. Aim to start out with different journaling prompts, and you’ll soon find what works best for you.
One important thing to note is that as you’re writing, remember that you’re writing for yourself. It doesn’t matter if your handwriting is messy and you smudge a page, or if your thoughts don’t make sense to anyone else. You might have a shopping list and appointment reminders at the top of the page, and heartfelt message of gratitude at the bottom. Whatever works for you.
You’re not writing a novel or a poem that will be published, you’re writing to improve your own personal productivity – it doesn’t need to read like a professional!
How to master productivity journaling?
But the main question we’re asking today is how do you become a journaling master?
As we’ve established, the first step is to just get started and write. But the more and more you use this tool, you can refine it to your needs and truly master the art of productivity journaling.
Once you’ve gotten started, you’ll most likely have found a journaling direction that is most useful for you. Analyse how far you’ve come, and start to niche down your focus in order to get the most use out of it.
When you regularly look back and reflect, you’ll be able to understand yourself better and in-turn, improve yourself in your desired areas.
Another key factor to note is that in order to become a master at it and to turn it into a great habit, you need to remember to find some time to do it every day.
This depends on your reasons for journaling, but whether it’s a quick 5 minutes for gratitude, or a more in-depth planning session, you build good habits by doing them every day. Then you will start to see some real progress.
My favourite journal/planner to use
Now that you’re on your way to becoming a master at productivity journaling, it’s time to make it fun!
One way I like to add a bit of extra personality to the process is by treating myself to a brand new planner. That way, I can personalise it through something as simple as colour, but also to a format that suits my journaling needs.
(And yes, when you’re taking journaling seriously, a new planner is a very exciting treat!)
Throughout my life, I’ve used a fair few different planners and notebooks. But there is only one that consistently remains my favourite: the Lleuchtturm 1917 Weekly Planner and Notebook.
I love that it incorporates both a daily breakdown, as well as a notebook each week. I find this set up is the most useful for me, as I can clearly see and visualise what needs to be done throughout the week.
Then, it also gives me space to break down my tasks further on the right side – whether it’s work related, or gratitude reminders to keep me motivated and present.
My whole life is in my planner, and I would probably be a lost cause without it. But I find a lot of joy in productivity journaling, and have found my life has improved significantly with this structure.
Shop yours today:
Image source: Lleuctturm1917.
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