A journal can be written daily (the best) or perhaps simply when you need to. If you plan on making a daily entry it would be good to purchase a diary. If a daily entry is more than you think you can keep up with you could simply purchase a good notebook.

Whatever you decide to use for your journal it needs to be kept exclusively for that purpose. A multi-purpose notebook would simply end up as a very cluttered notebook.

It would certainly be good to at least make a point of entering a weekly summary on a chosen day of the week especially if you have decided that writing a journal on a daily basis would not fit your schedule.

If you have not been used to keeping a journal, here are some of the many advantages you will find once you get started. Writing things down helps to:

1. Clear and unclutter the mind. Sometimes we cannot think straight because our minds are too full of multitudes of things we are trying to deal with all at once.
   
   Writing things down, whether it be a to do list, goals, or problems to solve helps to give ourselves permission to deal with one thing at a time, while temporarily forgetting the rest.
   
   
2. Make decisions. Writing down the pros and cons of a situation and being able to actually see them in black and white can helping greatly in sorting things out to make the right decision.
   
   Once that decision is made, write it down!
   
   
3. Solidify your goals and decisions. There is nothing like having something written down in black and white to wipe away any indecision.
   
   
4. Make you think about your decisions. When you see something in black and white, it becomes more real and is a great time to rethink your decisions if needed before you start acting.
   
   
5. Keep yourself accountable. It is also good to make yourself accountable to a trusted friend, but in the end it is YOUR decision as to whether you plan on doing what is necessary to reach your goals or not.
   
   When you have written down your decisions it is harder to give yourself “permission” to ignore them or put off acting on them.
   
   
6. Gives you something to look back on when things get tough or you get discouraged. Your journal should also have all the triumphant experiences written down. These will serve to keep you encouraged when difficult circumstances cross your path.

This is the introduction to a series of articles that will bring you some tips to help you get the most out of your journal!

I will be exploring some things like:

• Questions you can ask yourself to help you get the most out of your day and achieve your goals quicker.
  
  
• Questions you can ask yourself that will help you correct anything that may be tripping you up or holding you back.
  
  
• Questions you can ask yourself that will help you stay alert to influences around you that affect your day and your decisions.
  
  
• Questions you can ask yourself to help you get the most out of your day and help you enjoy life more!
  
  

Come back and visit us often and always keep in mind ..