On Monday, we talked about how men and women throughout the ages have kept personal journals and three positive effects of daily journaling. If you missed it, run grab it so that you know where we are going today.

Today I want to help you establish journaling as a daily habit.

I'm sure that you've given journaling a shot once or twice before. Perhaps it didn't stick. Maybe you tried for a week or two, or maybe even three but eventually you stopped.

We usually fail to develop habits because we go about them unintentionally. We fail to think through the three main elements that matter. No matter the habit you are wanting to establish the three things you need to think through are:

1. Time

Determine when you will journal. Ideally you would want to journal at the beginning of your day but in the end time of day isn't as important. Establish a time each day when you can retreat, think and write. Having a consistent time helps you in establishing a the habit as it becomes part of your routine.

2. Place

Decide where you will journal. My wife has a favorite chair in our backyard that she enjoys spending her mornings in coffee in one hand and her journal in the other. Me, I prefer to sit in my office chair. No matter where you choose to write, pick a place and establish that as your daily journaling spot. Establishing a place helps root the habit to not just a time of day but also to a physical location.

3. Plan

One of the most helpful ways to establish a journaling plan is to use a template. By using a template you'll remove the worry of what to write about. At first glance, this might appear confining but in reality it will create freedom. To create your very own journaling template spend some time thinking of a few questions that will help you process the day before, access how you are feeling & plan for the day ahead.

Not sure what questions to ask yourself? Below is an image of the journaling template I've been using.

My hand writing can be difficult to read at times so here are the eight questions I'm currently using:

Yesterday

1. What did I do yesterday? (hit the high notes. What do you want to remember?)
2. What lessons did I learn?

Now

3. What am I thankful for right now?
4. How am I feeling right now?

Today

5. What have I read in the last 24 hours? (record everything you've read since you last journaled. Maybe even a few important insights.)
6. What are my plans for today? (Review schedule and major tasks)
7. What one thing must I accomplish today?
8. Who will I see today and can I intentionally add value to their day?

Below is one of my real journal entries from the past few weeks.

As you can see I ask myself the 8 questions and then write out my answers to each prompt. It is simple and helps me narrow my focus to the areas that really matter to me. If you're having difficulty coming up questions of your own, grab these and give them a try. Over time you will tweak the questions and eventually arrive at a template of your own.

7 Day Experiment: Establish a time, place and plan for journaling. Then give it a try for 7 days and let me know how it goes.

As we head into a new week, I want to share a little nugget I've stumbled upon over the last few weeks.

Journaling.

Ok, I'm late to the party. People have been journaling for hundreds of years, especially 13 year old girls.

Like me you might have given journaling a try here and there over the years only to drop the habit after a few days each time. Maybe you lacked will power to commit, didn't have the time or see the return on your investment, or perhaps you simply didn't know what to write when you sat down. I've run into each of these hurtles over the years and each has prevented me from developing the habit of journaling, until now.

What changed? In short, I addressed the three major challenges that prevent you from establishing any routine, especially one like journaling.

But first, why is journaling worth all the fuss?

Much of what we know of the great men of ages past comes from private journals. Though great in their time and busy as you are, these men elevated the practice of daily journaling to one of great import. At some point each day they would sit with pen in hand to move thoughts out of their heads and onto the page. Often journaling was the activity they used to jump start their day.

Over the last several weeks I have become convinced there are three main benefits to establishing this daily habit that could change your world in relative short order.

1. Journaling draws your attention to patterns in your life.

Over time you'll recognize patterns in your life that would have otherwise gone unnoticed or would have only been so when they made a wreck of things. Your mind can't hold everything, or if it does you're unable to access every part of it. Journaling is a great help in organizing your thoughts, feelings, lessons learned, and major events. As time goes on you will be able to look back and reference things you'd otherwise miss.

2. Journaling helps you clear your mind.

I can't overstate the value of a clear mind to getting things done. Every day you have a million things swimming around in your head that distract and take a way from your day. Why not trap those thoughts, feelings and worries on the page of your journal? You will immediately feel free. Your mind will be less cluttered and you will be able to focus instead on getting stuff done.

3. Journaling helps you cultivate intentionality

Daily writing and processing your thoughts helps you approach the day with an active mindset. You begin to think about what you will do, how you will do it and form a clear picture of exactly what must be accomplished. Daily journaling helps you lead your day instead of simply accepting your day. People live most of their life in a passive state. They simply accept what happens each day, instead of actively trying to shape it. Another way to say this is that most people live unintentionally. Journaling is one key practice that helps you cultivate a habit of intentionality. Cultivating this habit more than any other helps you get more done, and improves every other area of your life. If for no other reason, cultivating an intentional mindset alone is worth keeping a daily journal.