How Journaling Can Transform Your Health And Fitness Journey

Reviewing your day and your thoughts can be a powerful tool for self-awareness and personal growth. Through journaling, you can learn something about yourself everyday but only if you have the intention of doing so. Journaling provides the insight to make positive changes for yourself and truly opens the door to lifelong success. 

So, how do you get started? First, it’s important to think of journaling as a daily habit that you can easily work into your current lifestyle. Set aside 5-15 minutes each morning or evening and make journaling a priority. During those 15 minutes, review your day. What was hard? What were you proud of? Which foods helped you perform better, which ones upset your stomach while working out? How did you sleep? Did you hit your hydration goal? How did you unwind or recover from a strenuous day? Hit the highlights and be honest with yourself. This journal is only for YOU, so don’t hold back. 

When you lay out your day in front of you, you’ll notice different ways you can improve. It might be changing your sleep hygiene or how you drink water throughout the day. Maybe you realize you don’t have comfortable clothes to work out in and it’s affecting your performance. List your challenges and shortcomings so that you can identify exactly what’s not working for you. 

When journaling, think about the future version of yourself. This is the version of yourself who is already experiencing the outcome you want. Let’s say you’ve started my 12 week fitness program and you’ve achieved everything you set out to accomplish. What does that feel like? Imagine turning the dial up on that outcome just a little more so you can feel it, even more strongly, running throughout your system. How would it make a difference in your life (and other important people in your life) if you got this outcome? What will having that do for you? What is most important about that for you?

Most of us have a vague idea of what we’d like to accomplish, but few of us have true, concrete goals. A goal is imperative to a target. Without a goal, you’re just drifting along hoping for things to improve. With a goal, you have a definite direction and purpose. At the beginning of your journaling journey, be sure to clearly define your goals and WHY you want to achieve these. Use these three key elements to help define your goals: 

Specific. Be as specific as you need to be, but not more. If your goal is to finish a 5K, does the time matter to you? It’s important to have a clear target, but too much specificity limits your options. Stick to the characteristics that feel important to you. 

Time-bound. Without a timeline, you’ll be unlikely to ever get started. Having an endpoint date creates focus and urgency. An effective endpoint date is no more than 12 weeks into the future. If your goal will take longer than that, break it into smaller goals. Anything beyond 12 weeks will cause your focus to wane. It’s far too easy to procrastinate with goals set too far in the future.

Possible. If you don’t believe you can achieve your goal, you won’t pursue it. What would be the point? Start with a goal achievable enough that you believe it can be done within the timeframe you’ve set. Do you have the necessary resources and time to reach your goal before the deadline and is it measurable? If you can’t measure it, how will you know if you’ve achieved it? How will you know if you’re making progress? Goals like distance ran or water intake, for example, are easy to quantify. A goal to run a 5K is also easy to measure because you either did it or you didn’t.

Keep it relevant. Are you passionate about your goal? Does it excite you? Does it serve a purpose? Is it relevant to where you are right now? Choose a goal that feels right to you, not what other people are doing. If you don't really want it, you are more likely to give up during the process. 

Now it’s time to start journaling! Remember, the key to journaling is dedicating time every single day and clearly defining your goals. Once you reach your goal, reflect on what you did to get there and celebrate the victories. Meaningful journaling is the key to success, so take advantage of it. Ready to take the first step? Explore my wellness section at Elizabeth Rose Vitality for insightful tips, powerful tools, and beautifully crafted journals to guide your journey. Your path to wellness starts here—check it out today!