Write it Down

How many times have we been told to “write it down”?  Thousands!  I encourage my clients to journal their thoughts, fears, and vision for their future.  When we go through their Enneagram results the next step is to journal, looking for trends that take us down a healthy trail vs. an unhealthy detour.  I was reading through the Daily Stoic (Ryan Holiday) email today, the topic was Write it Down, and it too reminded me of the importance of journaling. Habakkuk 2:2 states we need to record the vision. With all this encouragement and confirmation that journaling brings value to us and others ……why is it still hard for so many of us to routinely put our thoughts down on paper?

Is it because we fear sharing our internal voice and writing it down could leave us vulnerable, somehow exposing our weaknesses and limitations? Or is it that we fear writing down what we want will push us right out of our comfort zone into the frightening unknown?  Is it a fear of failure? Fearing that once we voice what is in our hearts, we won’t be able to manifest the vision? For many of us, it is that age-old fear of judgement, “What will other people think or say about us”?

Fear seems to be a common stopping point.  So how can we get past the fear of journaling, writing, or blogging?

Confront the Fear

• Ask yourself “What’s the worst that could happen if I write it down?”
• Then, “What’s the best that could happen if I write it down?”
• Keep a list of each, as detailed as possible, we will not always encounter the worst nor the best, but we can be prepared by acknowledging both.

Create a Routine

• Create a comfortable place to write, maybe that is a quiet office or on your back porch listening to nature. Make sure it is soothing and brings inspiration with a sense of calmness.
• Create a habit. Schedule time with yourself and use your calendar to set an appointment each day. Prioritize this meeting as you would any other important engagement.
• Start slowly, give yourself permission to write for 15 minutes or a specific word count, and then gradually expand.

Stop Overthinking

• Whether writing a journal for yourself or writing a blog for others, stop aiming for the perfect topic, the perfect quotes, or the perfect solution, there are none.
• If stuck on what to write about, pick a topic and start thinking it through on paper, you can always delete (or shred) if it doesn’t resonate with you in the end.
• Worried what you write will not appeal to everyone? Be assured that it won’t.  Pick one person and write to them, even if that one person is you.

Research and evidence show journaling evokes mindfulness, reduces stress, provides opportunities to remain present, and broadens our perspectives.  Journaling, writing, blogging, whatever name or method you choose to use, can and should be fun, and is always insightful.  We must refuse to let any fear hold us back from finding and using our voice.

Many coaches coach around challenges that they have had to overcome (or are still in the process of overcoming).  Schedule a free coaching call, I’d like to hear about your journaling experiences. What holds you back?  What does the world need to hear from you?