Journal to live intentionally and more fulfilled!

Life can pass us by so quickly! The days pass, the weeks and then ultimately the months. Unfortunately, most go through life at such a speed that things become a blur. 

I did this for years and then found I had a sense of discomfort. I was unfulfilled. While I had met several of my professional and personal goals, I felt something was missing.

Then I read "Do the Work" with Dr. Nicole LePera, who teaches journaling as part of the healing process.

Here's what simple, daily journaling did for me...

Slow Down

Taking the time to write out the answers to these questions posed by Dr. Nicole, I found myself slowing down to be present and really think through how I wanted my day to unfold.

Here are the questions I journal...

Today I am...

Today I am optimistic, confident, and kind.

I am grateful for...

I list all the amazing things about life.

Today I am practicing...

Today I am practicing fierce productivity. 

Change in this area allows me to...

Bring my A game and contribute at work.

Today I am practicing my A Game when...

I list all those tasks.

Asking yourself other questions like "Who needs me on my A game today?” and “What might trip me up today?” also sets the tone for Intentional living.

Here’s the cool thing. I use the very emotion or trait I’m struggling with to journal about. For example, during the pandemic I naturally felt negative emotions. That’s why I purposefully journaled about being optimistic. If I'm feeling unproductive, I journal about fierce productivity!

Process Emotions

Weekly reflections are important for me to process the week behind me. What I learned about myself, how I can show up better next time and what I noticed in others. It helps me process any emotions if I was triggered. If necessary, I'll journal specifically about a situation where I didn't show up as my best self and process why without judgement.

Live with More Intention

Writing out how I want to show up has dramatically impacted the way I head into the day and how I relate to others. I’m more conscious of how I want to show up for myself and others.

Feel Fully

Reflecting on the day, week and month allows me to capture the seemingly insignificant moments before they are fleeting and gone. Otherwise, when we don't pause, the days, weeks and years blend and we feel like we're not experiencing life to the fullest.

It's not the huge milestones and celebrations or heartache that defines us. It's the precious moments we experience each day that can bring us a renewed sense of joy and excitement about living a purpose-driven life!