How journaling can help you win at work and at home. Ask any dad. Most will tell you his biggest struggle is time.
He’s torn between work and home—among other things. He seems to never have peace. When he’s at work—he feels like he should be home. When he’s home—he’s thinking about work.
Trust me. I get it. It’s easier to disengage after a day at work than to engage.
But, God calls us to something better. What I’m about to talk about isn’t adding any magical time to your day.
But, I promise, if you practice this one thing each day, you’ll find more motivation. Dare I say it—you’ll find your WHY!
And that makes all the difference when it comes to your energy and how you’ll thrive (or not) at work and home. Let’s dig in.
Question: When’s the last time you took a moment to reflect and journal?
In my last few posts, I’ve tried to connect some dots and be practical. This post is habit five of six. The point is to give you practical habits you can implement in your life so you have the energy you need for both work and home.
The first habit was finding rest. We simply need to get more rest. I believe we can operate as we are called to by God if we get some of these practical steps in order with our physical lives.
The next habit was drinking enough water. We can’t operate at optimum performance if we aren’t properly hydrated—and most of us aren’t doing this well. Ask your doctor!
The third habit was handling our physical bodies through exercising and eating well. The fourth habit was the power of prayer as it relates to thriving at home and work.
Let’s talk about the fifth vital habit.
Journal your story.
Confession time. I am not a journaling person by nature. But, from time to time, I have used it as a practice that is helpful for unpacking all that goes on in life. Life gets confusing and twisted very quickly and journaling is a process that forces you to think through what’s going on around you and how you’re responding to it.
Never journaled? Here’s three tips to get you started.
First, decide what you will journal about.
Do you want to journal your daily activities? Maybe you’re reading through a book of the Bible and want to use that as the focus of your journal. You might journal about your journey as a dad and what you’re learning. The key is to pick a focus and then stick with it.
“With journaling, the key is to pick a focus and then stick with it.”
Second, decide when and where you will journal.
If your focus is on what’s been going on during your day, you probably will want to journal in the evening after your kids go to bed.
A journal through a book of the Bible might be most effective in the early morning hours and then you can think back on your reflections throughout the day.
Also, pick a spot that will be your journaling place. It might be a favorite chair or an outside seat in your backyard. Consistency in time and location can help you get the most of out of the journaling process.
Finally, decide how you will journal.
Artistic people can express themselves through drawing in a journal. If you love to write, go ahead and write out paragraphs. I sometimes make bulleted lists when I journal based on what I observe in the Bible.
There’s not a right or wrong way. The key is ensuring you engage with your inner world at some level, reflect on what God’s doing and then capture what He has for you. Over time, you will find that getting thoughts out of your brain and onto paper helps you stay better engaged with family.
You’ll notice things you’re grateful for and even milestones if you have a habit of reflecting. This can be invaluable for you when you feel like you’re exhausted at the end of the day or in a particularly busy season of life. Trust me, you won’t regret taking a moment each day to reflect and journal.
Vital habits so you thrive at work and home > series recap
- from this series was on Finding Rest
- discussed the importance of drinking enough water
- covered our physical bodies
- discussed the power of prayer
Question: When’s the last time you took a moment to reflect and journal? Tell us in the comments section below, tweet us @manhoodjourney or you can always email.
