Journaling Your Way to Crushing Goals and Finding Inner Peace

Journaling Your Way to Crushing Goals and Finding Inner Peace

Journaling can keep you grounded and focused. There’s no denying that you live a busy life. Work, family, volunteer commitments, and more keep us running from the moment we wake up until we finally allow ourselves to fall into bed, exhausted. If you are lucky, you will drift off into a heavy sleep that leaves you feeling at least somewhat refreshed in the morning. However, for many busy people, sleep does not come immediately; their mind is busy going over to-do lists, replaying the events of the day, and worrying about what’s to come tomorrow. That's where journaling comes in. Journaling can help keep you organized, quiet the voices in your head, and help you plan for the future. We hope that you love this Journaling Your Way to Crushing Goals and Finding Inner Peace post.

Journaling Your Way to Crushing Goals and Finding Inner Peace

I had a friend who went through the most horrific year I could imagine. Two of her children were diagnosed with chronic illnesses, and a third had to have emergency surgery. Her mother died. She felt like her life was falling apart. She was diagnosed with PTSD after watching her son have a seizure and need CPR in her hallway. I watched her stand brave and resolute, but I could tell by looking at her that she was not sleeping well. I mean who could, right? In the space of just twelve months, everything about her changed. She was a vastly different person because of the experiences she had gone through.

I finally asked her how she managed to cope. I know that if it were me, I would be angry, afraid, and worried all the time. She told me that she had started journaling. What had begun as a New Year’s resolution had become a lifeline for inner peace after her kids got sick. In her journal, she was able to record all of her anger, sadness, and fears. She could express her emotions without feeling like she was dumping on anyone, or at a time that suited her, rather than when her friends could find time to listen to her. She was able to be strong when she had no other choice by being mad or afraid or concerned when she needed to. While she did start visiting a therapist, and there was no substitute for lengthy phone calls with her best friend, that journal kept her sane on days when she had no other outlet. Instead of replaying each moment of the day when she was trying to sleep, she wrote everything down before bed, making it easier for her to let those emotions go and fall asleep easier.

Finding Inner Peace is Easier with a Guide

Not only can a journal give you the tools to express emotions, but it can give you a way to organize your life. You can use a journal as a living, breathing to do list. Using a bullet-journal style, you can arrange lists such as books you want to read, recipes you want to try, or even just a list of phone calls you need to make next week. Keeping a journal with you allows you to record your thoughts right away, rather than hoping you remember when you get home or to your desk. Fortunately, bullet journaling is pretty trendy right now, so it is easy to find a journal that fits in a purse or backpack.

In much the same way, a journal can help you prepare for an event that may be troubling you. I am a planner. If I have to have an important conversation or even just talk to someone about a topic that is new to me, I tend to play all the possible scenarios out in my head hours or days before the conversation. Using a journal to organize those thoughts gives me a place to record relevant points, which helps to guarantee that I do not miss something that I need to include. It is an excellent way for me to list concerns for parent-teacher conferences, or make notes about what did or didn’t work for a recipe or crafting project.

Some people have differing journals for different needs. I prefer to work out of one journal; it is just easier for me to keep track of. I create different sections in my journal using cute paper clips I find on Etsy. Because my journal is just for me, I use different colors to personalize it just the way I want. It is very much representative of who I am, and I love to open it every day.

Journaling can be cathartic, useful, and something that keeps you focused on a goal. There are many uses for journals, and each of them helps you to take control of your life. We hope that you are inspired by our Journaling Your Way to Crushing Goals and Finding Inner Peace post. Happy journaling!

Check out some of our top picks for journals: 
Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration
Soar Journal
Journal: Marble + Gold Notebook
Leather Writing Journal Notebook
Watercolor Collection “Be Still” Hardcover Wirebound Journal