Keeping a journal is a proven, powerful tool to enhance and benefit not only your personal life and well being. Journaling can also do same for your work life. It is a way to record and track daily activities and thoughts, which can help with long term projects and goals.

You can record what, when, where, and why of what is important for you, your career, and your company. You can journal in a blank book, in your daily planner, on your computer, on cassette, or even on video. Use system that most fits and supports your routine.

Some Benefits of Keeping a Journal · Set goals and resolutions · Solve problems, revealing solutions · See what you are thinking · Understand habits and patterns · Process and explore · Reduces stress, helps focus, and organizes · Can improve well-being, and makes time for you · Creates a personal reminder

Setting goals and resolution One very effective way to start using your journaling in your work life is to write what your goals and resolutions are. These can be for yourself, for your co-workers/employees, or even for your company. The key to goals and resolutions is that they go hand in hand. A goal is what you want to accomplish. A resolution is how you are going to accomplish your goal. As you write be sure to include specific thoughts and ideas for both. You can create your goals and resolutions on a daily, weekly, monthly, or even on a yearly basis.

Goals A goal is what you want to accomplish. You can use your journal to set both long and short-term goals. Be very specific - I want to be Vice-President of Sales by 2004. I want to make 25% more money by end of this year.

Resolutions A resolution is your resolve of how you are going to reach your goal. Again be very specific - To become Vice President of Sales by 2004 I will do following……Then list these items. To make more money by end of this year I will…..Again make a specific list of tasks and to do's that are practical things you can do to accomplish your goal.

Solve problems, revealing solutions You can use your journaling as a problem solving tool. As you write about a problem, your concerns, and even your fears, solutions can become more evident, because you…

…See what you are thinking As you write down what you are thinking you are making solid on paper your thoughts, and you can see what you are thinking. With that it can be easier to assess if what you are thinking is serving want you want to accomplish.

We’ve all heard remarkable stories of people that achieved remarkable things in their life, career or business. We’ve been to motivational seminars featuring dynamic, charismatic speakers who whip us into an emotional frenzy and give us surefire secrets to success. We’ve bought tapes, books and videos with steps to achieve our wildest dreams and goals.

Still, with this vast amount of wisdom at our fingertips, many people will undoubtedly never accomplish their life goals. Sadly, most will simply settle for much less than their dreams in life.

What’s missing that sets those that accomplish much in life from those that spend their life wondering, “What if…?” I’d like to suggest what I think is missing piece.

It's not enough to set your sights high; you also need to protect your goal. Like protecting someone you love - wife, children, friends - you would never tolerate anything that would do them harm. Quite contrary, when you are protecting something, you are all more diligent to nurture and care for it.