Journaling as a leadership tool
Posted on December 16 2016
The most powerful people and the greatest of leaders have kept a journal. They used it to record their thoughts and ideas and having one helped them improve themselves. So keeping a journal will help us improve ourselves for sure.
As a leader in my work, I need to make sure that I manage my time, and myself, hence the journal. I have noticed some positive changes in myself and work since I started journaling; such as being able to keep focus on projects with high priority and I was able to set aside things that don't matter.
Let me share with you the inserts I have in my Midori:
Monthly calendar. I keep this to see a big picture of how my month is. This will help me determine if I have been productive or not. For me a productive month means something good happened related to my personal and business goals.
Weekly calendar. My weekly contains my daily appointments and meetings and to-do-lists. This section helps me finish my weekly goals. It also contains record of previous meeting notes which will help remind me of some unfinished business.
Journal. My journal contains my thoughts, small wins and ideas. An assessment of myself and ways to improve my weaknesses. This also contains my prayers and aspirations, my fears and actions to counter fears. My few minutes of journaling is my "mindful pause". This helps me focus on the important things and disregard distractions.
Learning notes. My notes contain quotes from the books I read and notes for my presentations.
For my monthly insert, I use Midori monthly insert and the rest are our fountain pen friendly Yumi journals. The pen I use is a fountain pen for a smoother writing experience.
The simplest is sometimes the best. Keeping a journal is just a simple tool to help you manage your time and self to become better person or leader. It is never too late to start. If you are a leader at work, I suggest you try and I promise that you will see the benefits if you do it religiously.
