JOURNAL & THOUGHT BOOK
I never wrote things down to remember; I always wrote things down so I could forget.
-Matthew McConaughey
Journal about things/moments/people/places that get you excited produce tears of joy, motivated and high on life. Whenever you are in a slump, you can revert to your journal and easily recreate something on this list to get back on track. I have an app on my phone for notes, and there is one called “Things that bring tears of joy.” My most recent entry in that note is from when I was in Mexico. I wrote, “Apartment with ocean views, beautiful weather & dancing to Stick Figure.”
On the other end of the spectrum, write about things/moments/people/environments that drain your energy and feel lost or ‘meh.’ Avoid this list at all costs to create a more peaceful life. This is part of the self-awareness journey.
Something I wish I could get into the habit of more often is daily journaling. I go in spurts of journaling but have never completed a whole year of journal entries. When I do journal, one of my favorite things to do on New Year’s is to go back and reread all my entries for the past year just to see how far I’ve come in certain areas and other areas that maybe I need to focus more attention towards. It’s a great way to measure your progress.
I’m a believer that therapy should be something that everyone tries out whether you have had traumatic experiences or not. Being able to talk out what is circulating in your brain is crucial because otherwise, you just keep those recurring thoughts in there, and after a certain time, those thoughts turn into “lashing out” situations. If not therapy, then at least put your thoughts on paper by journaling.
The concept of a thought book is a place to store every creative impulse you have. You never know when a creative idea will pop into your head, and you have to take advantage of them even if they aren’t that good. No matter how terrible the idea, write it down. I’ve read that the good ideas will come back to you, and I agree that some of your best ideas are the ones that keep resonating within your brain.
However, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad idea. At the moment, it looks like a bad idea, but maybe in the future, something happens, and all of a sudden, that bad idea is a million-dollar idea. You can also brainstorm that bad idea, and maybe something else arises from that brainstorm session. Multiple bad ideas can become one good idea. Always have a thought book handy, whether it’s a note app on your phone or a little book you carry around with you.
THE SHORT GUIDE TO 30