Maintaining a Life Goals Journal: Strategies for Success
Keeping a journal is the best way to track progress and complete your goals. Many people have found success in maintaining journals for years, as it helps them to strategically work towards their objectives. It’s also a great way to look back and celebrate the achievements made along the way.
What is a Life Goals Journal?
A life goals journal is an easy way to plan and carry out big long-term goals. Whether you're aiming to climb the corporate ladder, learn a new skill, or travel the world, a goals journal can be instrumental in making your dreams a reality.
The Best Type of Journal for Your Goals
With so many different journals available, it can be overwhelming to choose just one. Here are some tips on how to pick the perfect journal for your goals:
Size and Portability
I usually go for an A5 size. Any size A6-A4 is fine. I like to take my journal everywhere, so I prefer a size that can fit into a small bag. This portability ensures that you have a quick and easy way to jot down ideas or revisit your goals whenever the inspiration strikes.
Pages and Layout
For a goals journal, an unlined or dot grid journal is great if you plan to draw diagrams, pictures, or make trackers. Alternatively, if you mainly plan on writing in your journal, a lined journal is perfect for keeping your entries neat and organized.
Thicker paper ensures that your entries won’t bleed over to the next page, making your journal much easier to read.
Tracking Your Current Goals
A simple method to keep track of your progress is to check in with your goals first thing in the morning and last thing at night. In the morning, choose a few activities or tasks that align with your goals. At night, mark down if you completed those tasks. This constant reminder will encourage you to find more time to work on your goals.
Daily Reflection in Your Goals Journal
Your life goals journal can also be a great place to reflect on your day. Write about what went well, what didn’t go well, and what you can improve on. Over time, this reflection will help you identify your routines and trends, potentially revealing reasons why your goals are not being met. This continuous self-assessment can be a powerful tool in achieving your objectives.
Tracking Future Goals
Another section in your life goals journal can be dedicated to goal-setting for the future. The key is to not work on too many goals at once. Your journal can be a “parking lot” for goals you want to complete someday. Whenever you complete one goal, you can look through this section to decide on your next goal. This method ensures that you stay focused and motivated without overwhelming yourself.
Best Goal Tracking Methods
Large goals can be broken down into habits and tasks to be completed to reach the goal. To keep track of when you complete these tasks and habits, you can make a tracker in your journal. A simple checklist of what you need to complete works just fine. If you want something more engaging, you can be creative with how you make checklists. Incorporating checkboxes into artwork or doodles is a fun way to jazz up your goals journal, as long as you actually use the tracker.
By consistently maintaining a life goals journal, you can set yourself up for success. Whether you're working on personal or professional goals, a well-planned and regularly updated journal can make all the difference in achieving your desired outcomes.