The Art of Keeping a Journal

Journal keeping is basically without rules. It is an uncensored invitation to cut & paste, sketch & chart, and to visualize and unravel every great and small thought. At its most basic it is a decision that your life has value.

Just listing your experiences and endeavors can reveal incredible things and encourage you to work for the nearly impossible, the rigorous, and the unseen. Recently, during a course on INQUIRY, I was asked to make a list of one hundred things I didn't know. Here a simple list became a prospect for the unknown and an introduction to something new. As Henry Miller states, "Writing, like life itself, is a voyage of discovery."

I have also discovered that journal keeping is a great way to zero in. For instance, if you were preparing to run a marathon and wanted to improve your performance as a runner. You might put together a journal with notes that included:

� Diet & nutrition

� Speed & strength

� Warm up & cool down

� Visualization & meditation

� Cross training

� Profiles of great athletes

� And perhaps a section reserved for ideas and challenges yet to come.

It has been noted that elite athletes keep meticulous journals on their training and competition, not only to advance and validate their hard work and progress, but to mentally prepare them for athletic mastery.

Journals are great for tracking and brainstorming projects or developing a theme such as business creativity or spiritual practice. It can be used as a restorative retreat or a creative landscape, a playground of sorts for your professional goals or a keepsake for travel, weddings and birthdays.

�Try personalizing your own journal by creating an arrangement that is both practical and natural.

�Ask questions and dialogue with the world.

�Use it with regularity and see if this kindles some sort of journey.

Above all enjoy the adventure! WRITE UPSIDE DOWN, USE DIFFERENT COLORS OF PENS, collect conversations, favorite song lyrics & meaningful quotes --or start on the last page and see where it takes you!

The basic nutrition for a journal differs. Yet the more you nourish it, the more confident and the more willing your imagination & intelligence will be.

Janice Hoffmann is CEO and Founder of Success Is Sweetest http://www.successissweetest.com -A NewYork City based Career and lifestyle Coaching boutique.

---

My Work Is My Play - The Journey From Survival to Creativity

"For the love a' creation!", my father was fond of... Read More

Finding A Little Adventure

I have had more than my share of exciting times... Read More

Creativity Management ? Measurement, Benchmarking, and Improvement

Contrary to common perception, creativity can be made tangible, measurable... Read More

Go Ahead and Think Outside the Box!

I am trying to create a discipline where I blog... Read More

In between Luck & Effort

I have one magical thought, lets see it more closely.... Read More

Codifying Creativity

Can we codify creativity? Within these few words are a... Read More

Top Ten Brainstorming Techniques for Business Success

We experience creativity every time a fresh idea pops into... Read More

Creativity Management ? Breaking Through The Mental Barrier

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Riches Through Creative Thinking!

When solving problems after you have exhausted the normal means... Read More

Recharge Your Battery

It was 4:15PM on a Thursday when I arrived at... Read More

How to be More Creative and Enhance Your Creativity

efore thinking about how to be more creative, let me... Read More

Inspiration, Creativity, and Channeling ? Opening Ourselves to Greatness

Channeling is much easier to do than most people suspect.... Read More

Creativity, Innovation, and Market Performance

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Problem Solving Techniques For Business And Life

Learning a few good problem solving techniques can improve your... Read More

I Want To Create...

What would you like to create? A peaceful life, a... Read More

We Tend To Make Up Our Own Truths: What Stories Are You Making Up?

Someone once said that man keeps looking for truth that... Read More

Re-Energize Your Brain

We all use tools in our work, and all of... Read More

Creativity Management ? Finish What You Start

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Connect with Your Inner Artist

In the "Roadblocks to Creativity" e-course, we look at the... Read More

Theres A Light At The End Of Your Tunnel, Called Imagination!

Imagine this. You've got this huge dream you just turned... Read More

Lucid Dreaming: Discover a Whole New World

Did you know that all of your most cherished dreams... Read More

True Power: Understanding the Source of All Creation and Creativity

"True Power" is a series that will focus on proven... Read More

Stress VS Creativity

Now when I use the term "creativity", I mean the... Read More

Fear & Creativity

My fears are most powerful when they're simmering just under... Read More

Creativity Management ? Collaboration NOT Competition

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Improvisation in Life and the Arts: What I learned from Free Play by Stephen Nachmanovitch

Can you be an artist while you're washing the dishes?In... Read More

Creativity Myths

Sustained myths about Creativity and Innovation lead to confusion, bad... Read More

Creating and Living Your Ideal Legacy

A legacy is more than a gift that lives on... Read More

Top Five Journal Exercises

Keeping a journal is a form of creative expression that... Read More

Sleep and Creativity

In my life, sleep is the number one way that... Read More

Is Your Team Suffering from FWTS?

Who do you know who is feeling stuck, under-performing, or... Read More

How To Let The Subconscious Mind Do The Creative Work

From time immemorial mankind has wished for an Aladin's lamp,... Read More

Make EVERY DAY An Artist Retreat Day

What do you enjoy most about going on an Artist... Read More