Guided Journaling – 6 Steps in the Write Direction!

Guided Journaling?  What is it and why should I bother finding out? Well, for one reason, because I have a complimentary one to offer you!  Read on …

No, this is not your Grandmothers diary we are talking about, this is not the place to chronicle your day or lament about your best friend.  Guided Journaling is a proven, therapeutic way to tackle difficult issues.  It does require some of your time, attention and focus but I think you will find the payoffs are well worth it.

Have you ever exploded to a co-worker, stewed over an incident with your superior, given the silent treatment to you partner or sent an email that probably shouldn’t have been sent?

If you have done, or considered doing, any or all of these things (or worse!), you are not alone, welcome to the Overworked  & Overwhelmed Club.  Member ship is in this club is free, but not mandatory.  Focus on one specific tool to help you get evicted from the O & O Club – guided journaling could be your ‘get out of jail free’ card!

Following are some of the wonderful benefits you can receive from nurturing the healthy habit of journaling:

Guided Journaling Tip #1 - Work out on paper the issues at hand; strategize to develop solutions for same.

Guided Journaling Tip #2 - Articulate the proper words to say to help you communicate better with someone.

Guided Journaling Tip #3 - Be still and quiet, journaling can help you slow down, be present and concentrate better.

Guided Journaling Tip #4 - Goal setting, thinking about an idea is one thing, writing it down takes on a whole new meaning.

Guided Journaling Tip #5 - Offers a reality check, do you really want to quit your job, get a dog or move to Iceland?

Guided Journaling Tip #6 - Provides a safe place to grow, a place for little ideas that won’t be judged, and a place for seeds to sprout.

Many people understand the benefits of journaling but have a few obstacles in their way.  The most common one I hear from clients is the proverbial, ‘I don’t have enough time!’  We have a preconceived notion that we have to journal daily or for a lengthy piece of time, for it to be effective, but that is not the case.  While journaling daily is a wonderful habit, picking up your journal when the mood strikes is a great place to start and even as 10 minutes can be very productive.  The second piece of resistance I hear is, ‘I don’t know what to write about! The journals turn into a chronicle of the day, I did this and I did that.’  While chronicling your day may be interesting to look back on, you can easily jot notes on your calendar for this purpose.  Pro-active journaling focuses on getting to know yourself on a more intimate level; it is a very empowering tool.  Guided journaling helps you along to ask you thought-provoking questions to help you get to know yourself even better.

Alternately or additionally, you may want to write about interactions, incidents, hopes &/or feelings.  You may start a gratitude journal, a personal health journal, a relationship journal or you can let the journal take on a life of its own!

I suggest you buy a beautiful blank book that you are drawn to and also chose a very nice pen to write with, consider buying a variety of special pens just for this purpose or using a one with colored ink to really get the creativity flowing!  

If you are stuck on what to write, here are some sample questions to get you started:

• Who are the 3 most influential people in your life?  Are they a positive influence?  Why?

• Why did you enter your profession?  Why are you still here? What needs to happen to keep you here? Do you need a change?

• Some days, we wonder if we make a difference and some days we know we do, write about a connection you made with a someone when you KNEW that you were making a difference.

Guided Journaling is  one simple, but effective tool will help you out of the  O & O Club and I can guarantee you that if you begin to implement the healthy habit of journaling, that you will be exploding, stewing and regretting a lot less often! 

Your FREE Guided E-Journal is here to help you on your way!  

Good luck!

Stephanie Staples  :)

About the author:  Stephanie Staplesis the founder of Your Life, Unlimited.  She is a nurse coach and keynoter who speaks passionately about personal growth and wellness in healthcare and beyond.  Stephanie is the author of numerous personal development products being used world-wide to help people live their lives with full gusto!