This are my journals. Each of this represents three different years in my life since 2018. However before that i used to be someone who rejects the concept of journaling just like many who first encountered the word self-help. I tend to avoid it because i thought i didn't need any help. And that's the same way i felt about journaling as well and i thought the act of journaling is way too sentimental and it puts me at a vulnerable state. If i have to list down how i feel but long story short. I was inspired by the miracle morning routine created by hal elrod and the whole routine consists of silence affirmation visualization exercise lastly scribing. That represents journaling. That's when i started to take this habit seriously and every day is the best day of my life after that of course not. I still have emotions. Whether is it good or bad. It varies but this routine definitely helped me a lot when it comes to dealing with negative ones and especially with the help from journaling but after three years of journaling. I won't say this habit stick with me consistently there are times when i'm too lazy to journal or maybe there's nothing unique for me to write about and that explains the empty pages and i even went for a few weeks of hiatus lately this habit is going pretty well but how i feel about journaling babies based on my mood. I feel that i'm just going through the motion of writing to a point where i'm writing the same thing every day. I'm not sure if that's good or bad or maybe it's just a sudden realization that my life is boring but the whole point of this video is to remind myself why i journal at the same time. I hope this can be helpful. And maybe you can pick up this habit of journaling. There are different ways we can journal the convention method of writing it down on a book or typing it on a digital journal or perhaps a video journal where you document your journey. There's basically no limits on how far you can go with our creativity when it comes to journaling.

But what's important here is. Choose the right one that fits you. I opt for a physical book which some of you might think is not a minimalist thing to have but this is intentional to me because i prefer writing as compared to typing and i enjoy the feeling of shutting off all the technologies after a long day and have no distractions while i conclude my day before we misunderstood this as a bullet journal. This is not for three consecutive years. I've been buying the same yearly planner. I have messy handwriting. So this a5 book provides sufficient space for me to scribble around as y'all know. I'm not a perfectionist. So my book can be really messy. Also i don't want to waste the effort of writing down the dates of every entry. I have to draw lines to keep it organized. I want a book that is ready for me and all i need to do is jot down what i have in mind. That's the reason why i'm not interested in bullet journal for productivity. Because i don't have the patience to customize my journal maybe if it's possible someday i can go in depth in the productivity part of journaling. I'm pretty sure many of you who are well-versed in this self-help field are aware of the benefits of journaling. Since it's nothing new and what i'm going to list down here are some of the benefits i've experienced personally throughout these three years. The first reason why i started journaling is also the same reason why i didn't start earlier. Laziness oh i mean gratitude. I'm not someone who is used to expressing my gratitude verbally and i used to think it's way too sentimental for me to even write it down after i've adopted the habit of journaling. I realized during this time when i'm writing it's the time for me to shape myself into a better person by having the time for self-reflection and express my gratitude daily. I'm able to rewire the way i think into the kind of person i want to become. Be grateful when things are great and be graceful when things are not going my way and that being said is a good way for me to remove negativity we are all humans.

Sometimes things. Don't go our way or we are not in a good mood. Maybe it's a traffic jam long queue or a disagreement with someone you care but if you can take some time to reflect those are not the things that are causing the anger we all have negative emotions. But it's how we deal with it. That makes the difference and i think the best way to get out of this. Negative emotion is to write it down in your journal instead of venting it out on artists for me. Whatever negative thought that don't serve me are written down in this book. It's a great way for me to vent my emotion out once i've written something negative. I'll always count it by asking myself. What should i have done. Or how can i make it better. Does this action or thoughts. Bring me closer to the person that i want to become in the long run i find myself not having this negativity to begin with self-reflection. Sometimes you might not have the opportunity to communicate how you feel to artists. It might be because you are an introvert or you do want to worry others with your rules. Both applies to me so the other way we can voice. Our concern is to communicate with ourselves. We also need some time to have self-reflection for us to gain clarity about our inner self. I see journaling as a communication with my inner self acknowledge our progress. The purpose of journaling is for us to record down the progress of our lives and we can basically record anything a travel journal decluttering journal or whatever journal that you want to track down your journey of getting there with that. It's a great way for us to combat impostor syndrome. The feeling of inadequacy some of us are overwhelmed with self-doubt and think we don't have the capability to achieve more. We tend to forget to look back at the accomplishment. We have made writing now. Our progress is a good way for us to appreciate how much we have grown.

It allows us to acknowledge our strengths and hard work. A good way for us to eliminate imposter syndrome and this can be useful if you are trying to build a new habit or learn something new. The small win you accomplish. Every day is recognized by our mind. Once it's written now and gives us the motivation to achieve more journaling slows down time other than documenting down memories for our future self to relieve the past by writing down our emotions and details on what happened today it allows us to pull ourselves back from living for the sake of living. Obviously it doesn't slow down time literally with that. We can reflect what had happened to our day instead of leaving without realizing that time is passing the next time you come to realization. One year has passed without us even knowing what have we accomplished documenting awesome memories. There are so many things that are happening concurrently in our lives and there's no way we can remember it just with our brain just by writing the experience down can help us to increase the chance of preserving details in our memories in the long run of course not mentioned when you want to record this particular memory you can always pull your writings back so i hope this benefits have made you want to try it out but knowing the why is the first half another issue about journaling is how to make this habit stick. The first trick is something we have already done. Be motivated next set a 30 days. Challenge give yourself no excuse to miss a day. That's an excellent way for us to build the momentum of writing it will be a bonus if you can have an accountability partner who can monitor your progress or even better. Do this challenge with you. Set a dedicated time for journaling for me. It's strictly in the morning before i start my work so i can plan what i want to achieve and also before i turn in for the night so i can conclude my day build the pace by giving a self ghost mate for example. Even when you're out of idea continuously write whatever that comes into your mind within a time frame or give yourself certain number of sentence that you have to complete and slowly increase the duration or the sentence every day.

If you are like me always lack of things to write there's a minimalist way of journaling called the five minutes journal there's an actual book with these questions printed on it which you can purchase them. I don't have that but i use the concept to help me to keep my journal flow when i can't think of anything to write and the first three prompts are for the morning question yourself. What are you grateful for. There's a powerful question to begin your day with what will make today. Great i see this as my minimal daily goal the third point is daily affirmation. I don't write my affirmation down on the journal and the last two questions are for the evening before we end our day lives down three amazing things that happen. I see it as the night version of being grateful and appreciate what i've accomplished and what i've learned. Lastly how could i have made today better. That's when i have my self-reflection what have i done. Poorly and more importantly provide a solution for me to improve. Of course you don't have to follow this concept. Strictly there are other general problems you can follow from the internet that can keep you going. I'll continue to journal without any questions. I've received way more benefits than the effort. I put into journaling. I've even come to enjoy the process. Will i still continue to have physical journal. I don't know it might change as the time goes. I want this habit to stick till i'm old but i can't imagine having 60 of these books in my possession. I hope i can live that long. Currently three of this is not really affecting my minimalist lifestyle and maybe even with 60 of them if i still receive a lot of value from them i see no point decluttering them. No matter how minimal i am so how do you guys feel about journaling especially my fellow minimalist.

How do you guys even journal. Let me know down in the comment section and if you are here for the first time and enjoyed watching this video do check out. My other videos on minimalism and self-development on this channel if you'd like to support this channel you can help me with the like button and that can push this video forward and check out my instagram. I'll keep you guys updated. I have a patreon page. That's where i post the extended version of this video and other exclusive content and that's where i can support this channel monetarily and i truly appreciate it. Thanks for watching and i'll see you guys next week.