You may have read our article on the mental health benefits of keeping a journal but as we quickly approach Mothers Day 2021, many will be reflecting on a 2nd Mothers Day under the global pandemic and it’s right to focus on our Mothers, especially at this time.
Naturally, mothers will be thinking about how to look forward with a positive outlook and on a return to normal life. When you do that, what do you think about?
A Year To Reflect On
The chances are, you are going to reflect on the last year, and about what you want to do differently in the next 12 months to try to get back to some sense of normality and, for a lot of people, an improved state of physical and mental health
These changes are not always about what to change in yourself, although there is a lot to be said for self-reflection, but what you can change in your life to help you hit the reset button.
There are many ways to approach this, but journaling has been shown to be a helpful tool in the process. Not only because you are learning more about yourself but also because it helps you to focus on the positive changes you want to make to improve your outlook on life, happiness, and help you to identify and achieve your goals.
Don’t Think “Being Better” – Think “But Happier”
To get the most out of journaling, there are some things to remember about how you can make yourself feel better or worse.
It’s vital you don’t think of yourself in a negative way as being flawed in a negative way. It’s been a tough 2020 and 2021 and nobody, especially mothers, should feel bad about living with some struggles and challenges to address.
Don’t tell yourself you want to be a better person, just work out what you need to do to make you a happier person. How to be a person that is content and more fulfilled in your daily life and someone who has found peace in who you are, what you do, and the people you surround yourself with.
This mindset shift is very important moving forward.
Personal and Work Goals
For any busy mother, it is often difficult to balance her personal and work life. With so many people working from home in the last year or so, find a balance between the two has been a real challenge.
This is an important area to focus on in your journal and you have probably spent a lot of time thinking about already and have an idea of
some of your challenges and goals. However, as you start to rite in your journal every day, you will no doubt look deeper into those issues and find new goals and challenges you didn’t even know you had.
Remember though, this has been a tough year and you don’t want to put a lot of pressure on yourself. Your journal should be helping you and not become a burden. Just find a pattern that enables you to have some time on your own to write in your journal daily, and you
will most likely have a long list of things you would love to achieve – the most important of which has to be self-happiness.
Getting Started with Your Goals
It can be tough to know where to get started when you begin journaling. If you are sitting staring at your brand new lined journal, wondering where to start, just think of the old adage – how to eat an elephant? It looks like a massive task but just one piece at a time works!
Think of what your current goals are. Do you have any? It’s fine to mix and match personal and professional, or just do one
category at a time.
The most important thing is that you start and write something. And remember, there’s no right or wrong and nobody is going to read the journal and judge you on it. It’s important you write in your journal for YOU and not always with half a mind on what will other people think when they read it – they won’t read it.
Maybe your kids are at an age where they have become more self-sufficient, started school, even left home. Maybe this is the time to go back to college, advance your career, change something in your personal life, start a business. There are so many different things you could want to achieve when you sit down and open your mind?
List any and all goals you can think of, even draw a picture or mind map if that helps you think freely. Don’t think about how big or small they may seem. They might seem inconsequential, but if they came to mind, they may be more important than you initially think.
Once you had your first pass at listing your goals, you will already have a clearer picture of who you are and what types of aspirations you have in life. As you start journaling every day, go back and review them occasionally, add new ones, scratch through or modify those that you think are less important.
Improving Yourself
For a busy mother, working or not, this can be a tricky one, because there is a delicate balance between accepting who
you are, and what to change, and understanding your maternal instinct will always put your kids first – but you need to think of yourself too
There is definitely a middle ground to find where you identify and accept all of your good and bad points, but still want to work on improving your mindset or outlook.
One approach is to think about how to become the best version of yourself.
So How?
This is going to take a lot of honest self-reflection and clarity, and journaling is a great way to help you achieve that. But is it also not something you will learn the first day you write in your journal – it’s going to take time – there are no quick fixes in journaling.
This is part of the long-term process of journaling, where every day, you understand a little more about yourself. Get ready though, there will be good and bad. There will be things you don’t like, things you love about yourself, and things that you believe if you can change it will improve your life.
Set a 5-Year Plan
While short-term goals are great, don’t forget about the things you want more long-term. Many people set 5 or even 10-year goals. As we leave this global pandemic, looking 10 years ahead may seem daunting. If it does, then just look 5 years ahead and take it from there. You can always review it in a year or two.
Creating a 5-year plan lays out everything for you. You begin by setting the main goal, which is what you want to accomplish in a certain amount of time. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Once you can answer that question with some clarity, you can then start working on your 5-year plan in your journal and map out how you achieve it.
Write down your 5-year goal, what you think it will take to achieve, and how you plan to get there.
Always set yourself realistic expectations. Most people have dreams of being a millionaire in 10 years but a very small percentage will ever achieve it. Try to be a bit more realistic, and set achievable goals given the time period you have decided on. Go at it step by step with choices to make in your life in order to achieve it.
Review and Revise
As you travel on the journey to achieve your 5-year plan, write the ups and downs in your journal. This not only helps you keep on track and help with your mindfulness improvement, but you can look back at your older journal entries and remember your progress and refine your goals.
Journals To Help
We have a number of blanked-lined journals which are perfect to help you on your journey to a healthier mind and a different you!
We have a range of Monogrammed Leather-Effect Design Cover journals with a classy look and also a range of Zodiac Sign-Leather-Effect Journals which will look great in a handbag, purse, or on a coffee table.
With Mother’s Day in mind, we have a few we have a couple of butterfly-design journals published and available on Amazon with a soothing butterfly design with classy cream paper.
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| Ideal Gift For Journaling And Writing, An Elegant Butterfly Design Notebook With 120 Blank Lined Pages | Butterfly Design Blank Lined 120 Page Journal | Perfect Gift For Journaling And Writing | |
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The perfect gift for Mother’s Day, make sure the new proud owner gets some time to herself to make a start on their journey to a new, improved, self.
