The Five Minute Journal
Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved to write. I have been keeping journals for a very long time. I was happy with my “fancy notebooks” – their cute covers and fresh, white blank pages waiting for me to pour my life and thoughts into them. Not only have they served as a creative outlet and a sounding board, but also as a way of keeping track of my life’s successes, milestones and challenges.
Since turning 50, I have embarked on a journey to improve my well being and outlook on life. For my birthday this year, my daughter Rachel gifted me The Five Minute Journal with the hope it would aid in my new quest. I had heard its great reviews from friends, and on Instagram. Everyone talked about its ease of use and its life-changing capacity. Heck, even Tim Ferris, entrepreneur, productivity guru and author of The Four-Hour Work Week, uses it as part of his daily routine!
All I have to say is that it has been a life-changing experience since I started it. Don’t get me wrong- I loved my previous way of journaling- but THIS is a totally different ball game.
How it Works
You spend five minutes each morning and each night, writing in your journal. You begin and end your day with the same routine and always on a positive note.
In the morning, you will be asked three simple questions. You meditate then proceed to write down your responses. It is a guided gratitude exercise – at times starting with an inspirational quote, other times with a small yet powerful task for the day.
There is a section for morning affirmations, too. This is a totally new experience! These affirmations are perfect at giving me direction during the day and empowering me to be courageous and focused in achieving my daily goals and making the changes toward a happier life.
Because I have been journaling for many years, I had no problem writing at bedtime. However, it took a bit of an effort to incorporate it upon waking up, especially if I had a bad night of sleep. So I tweaked and perfected my daily morning routine and now I love it.
This is what works for me: As soon as we wake up, I drink my lemon water that I prepare the night before and do a five minute stretching session. Then, I proceed to do the bed, go downstairs and start the coffee. Once my cuppa is ready and hot, I sit with my journal and write away.
At night, after closing my phone and getting in bed, I open up the journal. It asks you to reflect on your day’s positive actions and overall experience.
And it always finishes with a very important question. It prompts you to evaluate your day and asks how you could have changed the day’s outcome. This to me is where personal growth and self-improvement happens.
In Summary
It is a six month journey of daily journaling…
Its inspiring quotes and soul searching daily exercise force you to observe the good, positive things that happen in your life – instilling gratitude.
It has a structured format that keeps you focused on the moment.
It creates habits that will increase your daily productivity and push you to achieving goals and, in a way, holds you accountable for your actions.
Excellent tool for those who suffer from anxiety. By writing things down you gain some sort of control of your daily activities, your thoughts and your state of mind.
Also a good, complementary therapy for those suffering with depression. By encouraging a change in perspective to the positive, it improves overall mood and emotional state and helps shift the mind to a place of optimism.
This gratitude journal experience is wonderful for people of all ages. Not only does it boost gratitude, but also increases happiness and well-being at any stage in your life.
Apparently, there is an APP and a kids version, too!
Have you ever kept a journal? Let me know in the comments below if you have tried The Five Minute Journal and if so, how has it worked out for you.
Thank you so much for reading!
