Is Journaling the Secret Sauce to Success?

Is journaling the secret to productivity? Does our quiet time along with recording our thoughts on paper or computer really generate success?

The answer is a resounding yes if you believe all the blog articles online today. It seems that all one must do is prepare one’s mind and write it down for success and productivity to come knocking on your door. The statements are bold and predictive. It is the secret sauce.

Along with a few moments of mindfulness, journaling is one of the hottest topics on the Internet today. Don’t believe me? Google journaling and see over 42 million returns from articles and videos. Mindfulness returns more than 181 million.

These two topics seem intertwined. Apparently one requires the other to be complete.

Let’s Define the Words

What exactly is mindfulness? Here is the definition.

mind·ful·ness

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noun

1.

the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.

“their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition”

2.

a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Okay, what about journaling. What defines it from other writing?

Definition of journal, journaled, journaling

: to keep a personal journal : to enter or record daily thoughts, experiences, etc., in a journal.

As a kid, I journaled about everything from boys to bad haircuts.— Redbook

The principal at the school says since students began journaling last year, poor behavior reports have dropped 40 percent.— Stephanie Stahl

The students engaged in several process discussions to reflect on their service-learning projects, and they journaled their reactions.— Roeper Review

It seems we come down to paying attention and recording what our attention is on. It even seems to stem poor behavior in students. That’s amazing. Why don’t we require prison inmates to journal? I think the reason is that journaling requires mindfulness.

Possible Success?

Maybe the act of asking questions and writing about it is a form of journaling. This article might just be the result of conscious awareness and recording my thoughts.

I guess that makes me a success.

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