This may be the one thing you dread more than a leg workout.
“Why don’t you keep a journal?” it’s a question you’ve probably been asked again and again.
“No thank you,” you say. “I don’t have enough time in a day” or “I don’t even have time to read much more keep a journal.”
Journaling is a lot like exercising. Take it from me. I’ve been writing in blank notebooks for the past 23 years. I’ve grown to love it so much that it’s now my profession.
But it wasn’t easy getting started.
It was an assignment in grade school. My teacher wanted us to spend five minutes each morning writing whatever came to mind in a notebook.
I mumbled and complained with the rest of the class. The last thing we wanted to do was add one more writing assignment to our day already packed with spelling tests, reading assignments and pop quizzes.
I can’t remember what my first entry was but I won’t be surprised if it was something along the lines of “I hate writing.”
But soon I was writing down what I did the day before and what I planned to do the next day and the near future. The journal became like a best friend, a sounding board for dreams and goals, someone who I could complain to and share my secrets with. It wasn’t long before I looked forward to writing. I felt better after each entry. The journal actually made me accountable for my actions and goals. I wanted to achieve them because I wrote them down.
You know the feeling. For some, it’s every time you walk into a gym to start a workout. Most likely, it’s something that you’re not looking forward to. But each time you go, it becomes something you enjoy, something you can’t live without. It becomes an addiction.
Take longtime BodyTeker Donna Mishler as an example. She’s lost more than 100 lbs in less than a year.
Ask Donna how she did it and she’ll tell you that keeping a journal has really helped her stick to her program. She’s given me the honor to read a few pages. It’s the kind of stuff that will bring tears to your eyes.
Sometimes her entries are simply one sentence and a smiley face other times she writes about a bad day. Regardless, Donna says the journal has kept her on the right track to weight loss. It’s something she can read to remind her how hard she’s worked, what she’s accomplished and what she needs to work on.

Still not reaching for a pen?
You don’t have to be Robert Frost or Hemmingway to journal. Here are a few tips to journaling success.

1. Make the time. It doesn’t have to be an hour. The best times for most folks is in the mornings before you go to work or at nights before you go to bed.

2. Carry a small journal with you. I carry one that fits in my back pocket. That way I have it handy whenever I feel the urge to write something down. It’s great for writing down ideas as well as what you’ve eaten for the day. Trust me, if you know you’re putting it down in the book then you’ll think twice about eating that three scoop sundae with chocolate syrup, whip cream and a cherry on top.

3. Don’t try to win the next Pulitzer, unless you want to.
Come on, no one’s going to read your journal unless you want them to. Here’s where you don’t have to worry about the red pen edits. Write about what you want. Sometimes all it takes is a smiley face or a frown face to show that you’ve had a good or bad day. Hey, it’s even OK to draw an angry face if you decide to write about how you could have killed your trainer today. Most likely we won’t read it anyway and if we do we won’t be offended.

4. It‘s selfish to journal and that‘s OK.
Journaling is something you do for yourself just like exercising is something you do for yourself. Tell the kids to leave you alone, friends to call back later and your husband or wife that you’ll be with them shortly. You’ll soon have pages of wonderful memories, hardships and triumphs that you can look back on with pride.

As for me? I’ve recently organized all my books and paperwork. I’ve found a total of ten journals that I’ve filled since I was ten years old. I’ve now moved on from paper to my laptop where I keep a file of daily entries. But I still carry a small diary in my pocket or purse. That’s where I’ll write down my bright ideas.

One more thing. You don’t have to write in something fancy to start a journal. Hey, I started out writing in spiral notebooks. But just in case you want something a little more durable and chic-looking check out these sites for some cool-looking journals.

www.amanobooks.com

www.lavenger.com

www.napalesepaper.com