In Part 1, we looked into the benefits of journaling and why you should do it (the WHY). Then in Part 2, we looked at methods of journaling (the HOW), and the ideal place and time (the WHERE and WHEN) to journal.

In this final post on this topic, we will be looking into the contents of your journal (the WHAT) and the intended audience of your journal (the WHO).

I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but I really want to drive down this point that there is no right or wrong way to journal, only your way. My points are all recommendations and my own personal experience that can be used as a guideline but is not the only way to journal.

Your Target Audience

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When writing your journal, who should the intended audience be? You can focus on your journal being all about you, but it can be a lot richer and more meaningful if you have a few more targeted audience in mind. I've dwelled into this a little bit in Part 1 but I want to expand more on this topic. Here are some of my recommendations

The Future "Me"

I write my journal for my Future "Me" because I feel accountable to him. I owe it to him because any decisions I make today will impact his livelihood and success. To him, I want to pass on my lessons learnt from the mistakes I make today and also to get him to keep my accountable to our goals in life.

It doesn't have to be formal. Just imagine yourself talking to a future version of yourself over coffee or beer or something. When something exciting happens in my life today, I tell him to not forget about it. When I make a mistake, I warn him never to repeat it. It is also a reminder of your past when you do reach the future.

Side Note: Talking to the Future "Me"

A useful exercise I do when I meditate before journaling is to have a conversation with the Future "Me". This was an exercise recommended by Robin Sharma and can be done just in 10min to 15min. Find a nice a quiet spot free from distraction, close your eyes. Next, imagine yourself in a jungle/cave/ocean/beach/anywhere relaxing. Imagine yourself going deeper and deeper, getting lost in this environment. Then, you find a cave. In this cave, you see a light from a fire. Behind the fire is a version of you. This you is the ideal future you. Think about how he looks like, how he carries himself, how confident/successful/etc he is. Right now, he is here just for you. Have a conversation with him. Ask him and talk to him about anything you want.

Your Progeny

The next audience I think about is my progeny, whether they are my future children/grandchildren, or maybe any close friends or partners, it may even be for my future biographer if I ever become famous/infamous. I want them to learn about my life, hear my stories, hoping they would learn from my mistakes and see the ups and downs of my life.

It also keeps my honest with myself in my journal because there is no point lying or making my life sound prettier than it actually is if my intention is clear that I want them to see me flaws and all. However, the more I write my journal, the more I come to realize "Jialat (Oh shit), I think I should only let me kids/grandkids read this when they're 18++". Sometimes being too transparent can be an issue also. But at least they'll know how cool they're dad/grandpa was wink wink.

The Current "Me"!

Obviously! I'm writing all this down for myself today as well. Why should you write this for the "Current" Me? Check it out in Part 1. In this next section, we will talk about WHAT to write in your journal.

Journal Content

There are SO many things you can put into your journal. The journal is your playground, your safe space on paper, do with it as you wish. The only limitation is your imagination. As mentioned in Part 2, I journal twice a day, at the start and at the end of the day, both with separate intents. The breakdown of the content is usually:

Morning:

• Goals for the day
• Reflections from yesterday

Night:

• Gratitude for the day
• Update Goals for the day
• Lessons Learnt for the day
• Summary of the day

Goals of the Day

I start each day with a clear list of goals for the day whether for my personal life or my work. It allows me to go through my day with deliberate intention instead of just floating through the day on autopilot. Not only that, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction for the day.

After writing down my goals for the day, I go through it again. First, to make sure that my goals cover enough aspects of my life. Not just my financial or professional life, I also ensure that it covers all other aspects of my life such as relationships, health, learning etc. Once I'm satisfied with my list for the day, I try to visualize the whole day to make sure I can fit in my goals. Visualization, or mental rehearsal, is the process of creating a mental image or intention of what you want to happen or feel in reality. This is the first step to achieving what you want.

Reflections from Yesterday

I would then read my journal entry from yesterday or earlier. This is so I can better reflect on whatever happened yesterday and learn from it. Reviewing it again the next day, after a good night's sleep, will allow you to gain more insight than you could have before.

Any lessons learnt or thoughts that I may have missed the day before, I can write it down in the morning.

Gratitude

There are studies that show the benefits of actively being grateful (1, 2). It makes you happier, more positive, relieves stress etc etc. The benefits are endless. I try to make it a point to write about 10 things that I am grateful for today.

Even if the day doesn't go so well, forcing yourself to find the positivies of the day and being grateful for them will also allow you to end the day on a happy note. It's been proven that you see what you want to see. If you only focus on the negativity of life, that's all you will see and notice. But our world is a beautiful place and our lives now is magnitudes ahead of what the generations before us have faced and we should only be grateful for it.

Lessons Learnt for the Day

Made any mistakes today? Of course you did! Being able to write it down and reflect on it will only help you grow as an individual. There's that popular saying "Fool me once, shame on your. Fool me twice shame on you" or as George Bush put it better,

“There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.” - George Bush

Summary/Thoughts of the Day

This is to just summarize your day. Write whatever you want to write. Tell a story so that you can remember anything worth remembering today for the rest of your life. I usually find this the most fun part of the journaling process because this is where you're the most honest with yourself.

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Well, that's the end of this series on Journaling. I hope it was beneficial to you and that it will motivate you to begin your own journaling journey. Let's be real, it's not going to be easy. I've given up a couple of times and had to force myself back into it again and again. Once you've set it up as part of your daily routine, it becomes a lot easier and actually something to look forward to. As I've learnt about this whole process of Personal Growth

"All change is hard at first, it's messy in the middle, and it's gorgeous at the end" - Robin Sharma

Happy Journaling!