Using Journaling To Stay Motivated

Using Journaling To Stay Motivated

It is usually pretty easy to get motivated at the start of a project or new endeavor.Everything is new and exciting. It gets your heart pumping and gives you lots of energy to work on the project.

 

What happens though, as time goes on and the project still is not finished? Maybe you have made some progress or met a few goals along the way, but you still have not gotten where you want to be. When this happens -and it happens on most projects -it can be hard to stay motivated.

 

Productivity lags. Procrastination increases. It becomes hard to work on the project. This is normal. It is not some flaw you alone have. Humans are wired for instant gratification; the deepest and oldest parts of our subconscious control this. The trick is to keep pushing through and/or get your motivation back.

 

That is where journaling can help. You can use your journal to help stay on track when you hit the motivation doldrums or get the I-don’t-want-to-this-anymore blues. Your journal is the perfect place to work these problems out because it is just you and your thoughts. No one will judge you and nothing bad will happen because you complain.

 

One way you can do this is by using your journal to remind yourself why you started the project or took the actions you did. What motivated you then? What did you hope to gain? Have you gotten it? Can you still do so? Do you still want it?

 

Another way is to write about the consequences if you do not succeed. This is motivating to some people and de-motivating to others, so know yourself and do not use this method if you are one of the latter! What will happen if you fail? If you quit? If you walk away? Is this something you can live with, or would it be devastating?

 

Finally, you can use your journal to write about the good things that will happen if you keep going. This is usually the best method. If you finish the project, what will you get? How will your life change? Write it out in as much detail as you can. Turn it into a motivational speech to yourself to help you get riled up for the next round.

 

These methods can be used to help you get motivated for any project or task, not just those in self-development.