Journaling is a great way to express yourself – you can unload the burdens of the day, organize your thoughts, and unburden your mind while enhancing your emotional wellness. It’s an easy, productive, and positive habit to get into – but what if you want to do more?
Not all journals are designed to capture emotional issues. Some journals are designed for very practical applications. Journals that track progress or growth are an excellent way to support you on your journey toward a Spiritually Authentic life such as:
- Weight loss
- Better nutritional choices
- Business projects
- Prepping for a marathon
- Strength training
- A pregnancy
Journals that help you track your specific journey on the way to a designated outcome – say, a Spiritually Authentic life – are easy to create and deliver immediate feedback as well bringing long-term insight into the success or failure of your goal. They are a great tool for measurement and motivating individuals and teams.
Your journal may be used as motivation to keep working toward your goal, 
or to prove that your efforts are bearing fruit and you just need to stay the course and remain consistent. A journal can be an excellent tool for care providers to see your actions and get a sense of your emotional state when they are unable to be with you day-to-day – for instance, if you’re working with a coach.
Here are some great ways to keep your journal – and your purpose for using it – front and center while you charge after your goal:
Keep your journal in a prominent place – Your bathroom mirror (think post-it notes that can be transferred to a journal page) or framing a favorite writing prompt on your desk can help you keep your motivation and reason for journaling front and center. Keeping your journal close by – whether it’s a physical or electronic journal – can help you track your progress more consistently and stay engaged as you work toward your goals.
Share on social media – Some people like tracking their progress and 
sharing it with their tribe. There are Facebook groups that provide support and encouragement for group members as they chase fitness goals, train for a marathon or bike race, and other personal goals.
There are also groups for chasing business goals related to marketing, promotion, creating a blog, posting regularly on a favorite social media platform, etc. Share your wins and your challenges that you write about in your journal, and let the collective help you celebrate or find answers to problems. There are also apps available for more personal journeys that make it fun and easy to share with your tribe – one of my favorites for exercise is RunKeeper, and I also use LoseIt! for tracking my weight loss.
Keep things portable- Sometimes it’s best to keep things top of mind wherever you are. Your smartphone, a notebook in your purse or briefcase, a digital recorder for quick voice memos, or another device in your car are great ways to always have your tracking info handy.
Tracking information for progress can help you realize just how far you have come in a short amount of time. Reflecting back on your journey is a wonderful motivator – remember your victories and how you made it through your challenges.
Here are some additional ways you can track your progress:
- Take a photo each week – see the changes happen
- Do a daily video journal – FB Live, Instagram Stories, Twitter
- Capture a before pic – know where you started
- Create a graph to fill in over a period of time – objective evidence of changes and progress
- Start a spreadsheet
- Download an app
Journaling for progress and growth is a satisfying way to track positive changes, see results quickly, and to use your results to motivate and empower yourself. You can do the same for a business or work team – tracking encourages action, and celebrating your wins (large and small) helps keep motivation high and results coming.
