Journaling your goals in a different way than you think

Most recently I get a lot of questions from friends and contacts in my network on how to FEEL LIVELY AGAIN, because a certain life situation is not leading anywhere, it is so hard to enjoy the job, start that passion business or finding a self-care routine to stay focused and centered and not run around in reactive mode and on auto-pilot. 

I had these moments several times in my life and used different techniques to find back to my ‘flow’. Flow can be measured in different ways. For me it is reflected in unusual high DHEA levels – the vitality hormone -basically the opposite of stress induced cortisol as well as high HRV heart rate variability, also found in monks (for them is is much higher than my rate I must admit).

But anyone can feel the Flow moment: That moment when you forget about time, you are so immersed in your task, your purpose, it all aligns with your inner voice and plan. Some of us get that while travelling, other while doing sports or working on their passion project.

But I never stop learning – and getting unstuck at times- and I am curious to hear your experience.

That’s why I like to share with you my favorite activity I included in my morning routine: 

JOURNALING, a 15 min invest which helped me to get clarity and create change, and some of you have started using it already. 

And maybe you like to share your own ways of dealing with being stuck with big or small goals or longings at times.

Yes, with all we have to accomplish daily the resistance for most of us is very high to WRITE – unless it is a shopping list or simple to do list. It takes time, we don’t know what to write, it can be even scary.

For my part I always thought Journaling is writing a diary and I just don’t have the patience as an adult to write down single events of my day. I actually find it a bit profane still to muse about my breakfast, starting the washing machine, checking emails …but wait! 

There are incredible moments in between. Don’t we all do that instagram shot of the flower on our balcony we just watered before running to office, the smoothie bowl or our kids making funny faces…and it can be therapy to do it daily (think: Gratitude journal, 3 things we were grateful for today!).

While gratitude journaling or documentation in pictures on social media is one great habit, I like to journal on goals that require profound change and that are a bit hard to crack because of some resistance I have. For example : writing a book, changing career, starting my own business, taking a sabbatical, moving to another city. 

Basically every great idea that ends with a BUT…

I used to write down goals in SMART form (Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic and Timely), that’s what I learned during my time in Management Consulting. Well, while we work SMART (usually in quarterly, 1-3 year goals) in larger businesses and follow measurable and realistic goals, I do not suggest this form for personal goals at all. 

Why? Because I like to include my subconscious mind not only what is already at the surface and needs to be done´- because that just brought me so far!

When it comes to complex goals that seem to be not achievable in the first place, and that require a large invest from our side on figuring things out, motivation, money, time and courage it helps to journal in a more advanced way. Here I add three things to the rational way to define a goal in a ‚smart‘ way: no limitation in terms of correctness, feelings and intuition.

It really helps to free-style write without correcting oneself and write out your thoughts in a stream of consciousness.

This way one gets a clearer picture on deeper laying longings and their limitations, it is a way to unleash creativity if we are stuck not knowing what we want to achieve exactly and the how. A special technique that includes guiding questions then allows to connect with the goal as if it already happened. 

To achieve transformational goals it is important to go beyond check-lists, smart goals and visions. This is because your core beliefs and values drive what you do. If you’re unconscious of these, you can unwittingly sabotage your dreams. 

Interested to know which questions to follow in a journal to facilitate the process? Let me know in the comment field and I send you a simple guideline and a template for your daily journal practice. 

Would you like to share the method that worked for you?