Diary – Yvonne E. Venter-Louw

“Keeping a journal will absolutely change your life in ways you’ve never imagined” – Oprah Winfrey…

But why?

Why is it important to keep a journal?

I have found a few reasons, according to some Guru’s, what the benefits are and what a personal journal will provide for you:

It is a reminder. It reminds you of your goals and the actions you are taking towards your achievement of these goals, every step, every day. You are writing down your goals – right? If not, do not fear… I have prepared some helpful content to assist you with your goals.
A journal is a perfect way to keep track of your progress and to measure precisely from where you have started and how far you have come towards the change you wish to achieve in your life.
It provides detailed information if you have supplied it of course…; of the things that you did change and which of these changes was most effective for you.
It is a perfect assistance to help you build your self-esteem, as you are re-affirming the positive beliefs you are going to instil in your life and as you get closer to achieving your goals this will become second nature to you.
It provides you with a visualisation of a before during and after these changes.
As you record your changes in your journal, you will start to see the positive changes, which in return then creates a spiral effect off re-enforcing the positive changes by optimism which in return re-energizes and motivates you to persevere.

Here are a couple of simple tips for starting up your journal; although I have provided you with an outline for your “#FromZero2Hero” – these might assist you to take it even further:

Keeping it simple, short log, it is easy to read and it usually takes about a minute to do. Each day, record short entries – list things such as your emotions, attitude, responses to situations and the current conditions in your life… and how you would wish to change it.
Always remember to include affirmations and that it is your own choice to believe in these affirmations
Gratitude – Saying thank you for at least one thing that happened that day. Creating a ‘Gratitude Attitude’
Should something have happened – to which you have reacted differently as before – remember to congratulate and reward yourself… Make a note of how you felt about it. This will re-enforce the behaviour and the change you are aiming to achieve.
And a ‘trick’ that I have collected from one of my coaches – Always keep extra pieces of scrap paper in your journal. Why?
- When you feel dragged down by something, or if an issue is creating an unease, or if you are having ‘one-of-those-days’ and you just can’t seem to dust it off…
- Write down on the scrap paper, every little detail of what it is, how it is making you feel, or how it is affecting you…
- Make up a silly little rhyme for yourself, to repeat with the next step. Something like:” Ashes to ashes, dust to dust – I give You my troubles, You’ll know what to do with it I trust!”
- Now – tear it up, burn it, ‘File-13’ it, toss it … even if it is something that you will have to attend to at some stage later today or tomorrow, but throw it away; all that you have just spilt out on that piece of paper.
- Your physical action of firstly acknowledging the problem and then writing down all the negativity with regards to it… enables you to rid yourself of these emotions and it prevents you from bottling it all up inside.

P.S. – I have struggled for years, with bottled emotions of things that happened in my childhood; things I even struggled to acknowledge with professional help. Things that – always left a very definite taste in my mouth and an undescribed feeling throughout my entire being; Until I was taught this little psychological trick. Doing the physical act of throwing away these emotions that you have just spilt, enables the mind to release the feelings and ‘forget about it” so that you can concentrate on more constructive and positive things.

So, with this in mind – let’s start with your first ‘F#FromZero2Hero’. You may call this little notebook anything you may wish to call it. For me, it again re-enforces the illustration of the word “#FromZero2Hero” and draws attention to success; by whichever means, you identify success for yourself…

To your continued success,

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Guest Post DayDesigner.com

Yearly Goals + Monthly Actions + Weekly Routines + Daily Habits = Well-Designed Life.

Today, we’re sharing our top tips on how to break down your yearly goals into monthly actions!

1. Plan to plan.

Set aside time to design your month. (We all know how fast the next one seems to roll around!) Whether you choose the last Sunday, the first weekend, or somewhere in between—find a time that works best to review your goals and define monthly actions that will help you move forward in life.

Making time to map out the month ahead will ensure that you’re being intentional with your goals and your time.

2. Get it on paper.

Detail out special occasions and important dates from all the schedules you’re juggling: trips, guests in town, appointments, all-day meetings, events, birthdays, etc. The monthly overview in the Day Designer is an excellent place to see how everything lays out.

Other actions to consider: taking care of finances, submitting your expense report, and accomplishing home maintenance tasks.

Get it all out of your brain and onto your calendar where you can “set it and forget it.”

3. Push forward.

We all have projects: work projects, home projects, personal projects. Those “if I can just make some progress, I will feel so much better” projects. The notes column on the monthly overview is an ideal place to keep a list of your current projects.

Think about the next steps and sprinkle action items throughout your month.

4. Serve your year.

Review your goals and ask yourself: What can I do THIS MONTH to make progress on the goals I’ve set for this year? How do I want to feel at the end of this month, and what are the actions that will get me there?

Remember your key focus—your all-encompassing “Word for the Year”—as you design your month.

5. Track it.

Goals are just lofty dreams until you put action into motion. The first step is writing them down!

How can you track your goals best, so you don’t fall off track? Here are just a few of our favourite tips for tracking your own journey toward reaching those resolutions:

Find an Accountability Partner

It always helps to have an outside source of encouragement and accountability when working toward new goals. Find someone with who you can share your resolutions—and together, decide on a timeline and a marker of progress. Maybe you want to meet with a running group or personal trainer twice a week. Perhaps you want to write 500 words before you check email every morning? You might want to go to one new networking event to make new connections every month. Whatever your goal and however you want to track your progress toward it, share it with someone who can check in with you, motivate you, and keep you accountable to the guidelines you’ve set.

Schedule Regular Personal Check-ins

It’s also helpful to set aside time to review your goals on a regular basis. Pick a schedule that works for you—you might go over your goals every Sunday night or at the end of every month. The frequency or day doesn’t matter so much as the commitment to keeping your goals top of mind and tracking the progress you’ve made in the time that’s passed. By pre-scheduling dates with yourself (or your accountability partner!), you’re more likely to want to get a “good review” when you know check-in is coming up. (Funny how our minds work, isn’t it?)

You can also use the free Monthly Goal Tracker printable from Day Designer as a written, tangible plan to come back to each month and measure your progress on three specific goals. Re-visit this sheet at monthly check-ins to note your progress and how you might maintain or improve in the next month!

Try Not to Break the Chain

There’s a reason we recommend using our Monthly Goal Tracker printable—it makes your progress visual! It can be hard to stay motivated when you don’t have a tangible reminder of how far you’ve come—and how close you are to reaching the important goals you’ve set for yourself!

Another motivating way to keep track is to pick a spot in your planner to track your progress every day—then, try not to break the chain. Here’s how it works: For every day that you make progress toward your goal or goals, mark an “X” on your calendar. There’s interesting psychology behind the fact that we are motivated not to “break the chain” of X’s—in other words, you are motivated to continue making progress, simply because you can see how far you’ve come (and can’t stand the thought of “starting over”). It’s simple but effective. Try it and see how long your chain becomes!

Original Article: http://www.blog.daydesigner.com/track-goals-so-you-actually-reach-them/

P.S.: Start building your own diary/ planner/ journay – #FromZero2Hero (Free downloads available)

Why keeping a journal will change your life:

Plan, Track, Measure and Improve = Success!