Ep#61 - Journaling: Do You

So this year I thought of making my podcast even more specific and structured. What I am going to bring on The Happiness Project is a theme, every month – and all of my episodes are going to revolve around that theme! The theme for January is ‘Getting things into Perspective’

So, with the beginning of a new year, most of us expected immediate improvement. But as we flipped the calendar to 2021 many things remain unchanged. The weariness of the old year clings to us. A year-long pandemic still rages. Overwhelming grief is an unwanted companion to many. Uncertainty is still present. Exactly why, I wanted the theme for the first month of 2021 to be all about gaining perspective by simply not over-expecting, by focusing on thing which are in our control, by adjusting our vision to see all the good and hopeful, by blocking out the negativity that constantly bombards us. Just before 2020 ended, I spent an entire day journaling with my best friend, why? Why not huh? Nothing can be more therapeutic than journaling with your best friend. I have also shared a small clip of my best friend Nikita Vamanjur who has shared her experience of Journaling. I am currently reading a book – Atomic Habits by James Clear, he says, it’s all about creating a system – that will shift your belief system and your identity into who you really want to be! And Journaling certainly seems like a huge part of the kind of person I am becoming! Your journaling does not need to produce Nobel Prize-worthy prose. You don’t need to commit to a life practice right now. Start with one line—about how you are feeling, something you did yesterday, something you are excited about, someone you are thinking about. Start by doing it for one week. Start by writing a few things you are grateful for. Start with a sentence about the mindset you are going to attack the day with, about something interesting you learned in your reading yesterday, about your plans for the day. Whatever it is, start ridiculously small. You’ll know when you’re ready to build on it and write in more depth. Don’t journal out of duty or obligation, do it because you enjoy doing it! Journaling isn’t for everyone, so if you don’t resonate with it, that’s OK. There’s probably something else out there equally as beneficial. But if you do enjoy and benefit from this practice, pay attention to the benefits! Don’t just make journaling into something else to check off your “to-do” list. I like to notice how much mental and emotional clarity I have after journaling, and it is those feelings and discoveries that keep me going. I hope journaling can benefit you just as much as it has benefitted me.

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