Article The Importance of Reflective Journaling

Carpe Diem

I’m sure you will agree that we can all be guilty of putting off until tomorrow what we should have done today. After all, tomorrow is waiting for us right? Sadly though, this approach to living can become a bad habit that limits our own progress and stifles our careers or relationships. So what is the remedy to this apathetic malady?

I have found since hitting the big four-oh, my focus on the importance of daily self-reflection has become 20-20. I feel this may be because I am at the age where the end of my career is less than half of my working life away! Considering the fact that the time remaining to work myself into the financial position where I could comfortably retire in less than twenty years or so has definitely generated a sense of urgency in me to make the most of my gifts and talents, while I can.

My process of daily reflection helps me to feel great about my achievements, and proactively consider my future approaches to any situations in which I had an error of judgment. I also give myself the chance to project ahead to the next day and set out the actions I intend to take to get closer to achieving my goals and further still, I consider my longer term plans for growth, family support and other dreams. Overall, the reflection process is a very self-affirming one that builds up my sense of self-worth through the acknowledgement of my accomplishments (however meager) as well as allowing myself forgiveness for my missteps in the hope that tomorrow, I will do better.

The best part of doing this ritual of reflection is the sense of release from the tensions that used to build up in me when I didn’t reflect like this. Gone are the frustrations of how I was going to move ahead with my life that plagued my twenties and even better - gone are the restless sleeps that plagued my thirties because of the uncertainties I felt about how well I was doing with my job or the nurturing of my relationships.

OurSails Reflective Journaling

If you don’t already, I would highly recommend seizing the day that was as it draws to a close by looking back at how it was for you. You should also project ahead to tomorrow to decide for yourself exactly what NOW will look like for you as you go about your work and all your personal interactions. I keep a log of my thoughts in a journal in my OurSails library. The process of putting my thoughts into written words really helps to make the abstract concrete. I hope you give it a go, and also gain the clarity of vision that daily self-reflection has helped me to develop, as well as the sense of self-assurance that follows.

• Align to avoid confusion.
• Collaborate to avoid suspicion.
• Succeed without despair.