I can’t remember where I read about The Five Minute Journal but I do recall this person, an entrepreneur, was raving about the results. There are many copies of it out there, but the real one is by Intelligent Change. I think they have a new one coming out for 2019, but I’m still using 2018’s.
Despite its simplistic appearence, the Five Minute Journal is the product of some sophisticated neurocognitive research.
The premise is very simple. It explains how it works in the beginning and makes you think about what your general goals are, of any kind. Then, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, you write down a series of things, always the same:
For the morning, these things are
- 3 things I am grateful for
- 3 things that would make today great
- Daily affirmation(s)
For the evening, these things are
- 3 amazing things that happened today
- How could I have made today even better?
That’s it! Super easy to do, even for me.
I’m self-employed, or an entrepreneur, if you want, and work at home. So I don’t get a lot of social interaction (except for breaks on social media) and I can experience a lot of ups and down – in a single day even.
Since I started my Five Minute Journal, however, I’ve been a lot more focused and emotionally resilient. The mishaps don’t phase me as much anymore, somehow, and I’m regularly reminded by how lucky I am for all the good things in my life.
It also seems that the simple task of writing down what would make today great, where I concentrate on things that are under my control (like “I will exercise for at least 20 minutes today”), starts my day with better focus. Just the act of writing out my intentions seems to very powerful.
Just do it – but do it sincerely – and let your subconscious do the rest. Even if what you write seems trivial, play along for a while and give it a couple of weeks. I haven’t heard of anyone who did this who isn’t amazed at the results!
And here’s even a video on How to Use the Five Minute Journal:
I found out they now also have a Productivity Planner! Guess what I’m getting next? 🙂
Happy journaling!
