I have been asked several times recently how and why I started journaling, so it seems fitting to answer it via post.

I only started journaling because I was forced to.  I was working with a mentor, Dr. Lew Sterrett.  At our first meeting he laid out several expectations.  Those expectations were:

• I must be completely honest with him
• I must be open to change, meaning I must listen and take advice
• I must journal

The first two requirements were no problem.  Being honest with myself and a sincere desire to change made me want a mentoring relationship in the first place.  The third bullet I only agreed to begrudgingly.

My journaling started as evidence I was working on my goal.  The initial goal I discussed with Dr. Lew was to be more encouraging my team instead of just critical.  Thus, my journal entries were to document at least one instance per day when I encouraged someone.  It could be one sentence or a paragraph.

It then expanded into a summary of my day.  During this time of reflection I would highlight the best and worst of a given day.  It was remarkable how important this time became.  Not only was it healthy decompression of stressful situations, I found it forced me to spend more time on the good things that happened.  I also discovered that I solved problems during this reflection.  I generated action items.  As I would write about a topic, ideas would flood in, causing me to write down what I should now do about it.  Prior to my journaling time, these ideas did not come, issues were left unresolved and I would carry extra stress from situations for which I did not have solutions.

Currently my journal contains both of these elements, plus a third that was actually the hardest for me to grasp.  It remains the aspect I still struggle with the most.  That is to ask questions of my journal without trying to answer them.

Every time I met with my mentor, I had prepared questions.  As was typical, his wisdom led to a perception I had never imagined.  Instead of answering many of my questions he asked if I was journaling about them.  He then asked if I was praying these questions.  My immediate response was no.  I am used to prayers that are thanksgivings and specific requests for God to do something.  At this response he just smiled, then asked if I believed in a God that was omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.  When I replied that I did, he asked why I would be telling an all-knowing God what to do and never asking Him questions.  When put like that it seems obvious doesn’t it?

In all honesty I do pretty well asking questions, it is not answering I struggle with.  I want to jump straight to my own answers instead of just waiting.  By journaling these questions, I can then reflect on the answers I later receive, or keep praying the questions if the answer has not yet come.

And that is how and why I started journaling.  If you have questions about my journey, I am happy to answer.  Hopefully you have discovered that I find it an honor and privilege to utilize my experiences to the benefit of others.  Please post a comment, send an email or connect with me.