Journaling for Productivity and Performance

1. Introduction: Hello, I'm Alexandra by Dieter and I am your coach and host. In the next part, we're going to talk about journaling for business purposes. So we're going to do a little bit of deep diving into productivity and performance and different tools that you can bring into your journaling routines so that you can boost these aspects for your career and your profession. You will be able to see how performance tracking and how evaluation and measurements are really key when it comes to following your success path. We're going to talk about your vision, your goals, and how to take action towards what it is you are looking to get in your life in order to make it successful. There are very many ways and many types of journaling, so you will be able to explore some of them and decide which one works best for you. This is now what I do. I'm a storytelling and journaling experts. I'm the founder of impulsivity by Alexandra, which is my company where I teach people how to use the power of pen and paper in order to leave an impressive life. I want you to leave a successful, impressive life as well. And I know that pen and paper are going to be really, really powerful for you if you integrate them into your daily routine. But before you start doing that, let's dive into the content so that you understand everything that stands behind this beautiful tool so that you can choose for yourself how you're going to use it, and where you're going to take it next. 2. Lesson 1: Planning for Success: Making plans is what keeps us all going. Whether you're planning for your next holiday or for a big project in your career, than the feeling of anticipation is really boosting your mood. It's important to learn that making plans is all about being aligned with your vision and knowing where you are heading towards, but also having an open mind and being flexible about what comes your way when it comes to journaling for productivity and performance, we're going to dive into different tools and techniques that will help you in terms of journaling for your professional life. It's true at the same time, we can easily fall into the trap of being caught up in this image that we project about our future and forgets to be present. But journaling is definitely going to help you be grounded and mindful. All you have to do is go back to your journal and put pen to paper. Anytime that you feel there's something pulling you back towards your past or forward towards your future. After all, you can only plan and be productive and performance in your present moment. Planning has its own advantages. It's important to understand that success is not just the destination. Success is actually the whole journey. Every step of the way you will encounter success, you will have small wins and big wins. You will have lessons to learn from. You will have the courage to take risks and to make decisions because you are clear towards where you are heading. If you are very consistent and clear with your planning, then all the goals that you are planning for will come into fruition. Enjoy the journey because success is not going to happen overnight, it's important that at this point you revisit your definition of success and you will learn how to create that beautiful vision to keep you motivated and to plan accordingly. Realistic and create an achievable timeline. Don't try to push yourself or stretched too much because you will forget to enjoy the journey. However, don't stay too much in your comfort zone because success is not going to be there. It all comes with change and growth. This is what we're doing here. We're using journaling and the art of putting pen to paper for you to learn how to be successful according to your own terms. When you think about your goals, you think about a road that will take you somewhere. The truth is that this road is not going to magically unfold. Yes, there will be times when opportunities will come your way and there will be coincidences and synchronicity is that you will encounter. But it will all happen because you have a plan and you know where you are going towards. Clarity is very important when you are making plans. Because this way you will know what are your intentions along the way. Be flexible and remember that you might need to adjust your plan during your journey and just take it step-by-step. It's okay if it's not going to unfold exactly the way that you envisioned it. But it's important to stay true to your journey and your vision. 3. Lesson 2: Defining your Vision: When we talk about vision and goals, it's important to remember that you are the expert of your own life. This is why we are starting with defining your vision and your definition of success. Because you don't want to start planning your goals according to other people's standards. You want to achieve success that will make you fulfilled. And it's not about comparing yourself with other people. It's all about what it means for you to be happy, fulfilled, and successful. So let's start with the first question. The first exercise in this lesson is about understanding what is your definition of success. Pause this video or take some time after you finish this lesson and write down in your journal, what is your definition of success? What does success mean to you? What does it look like for you to be successful? You are now one step closer to clarity. I want to invite you now to take a second exercise, and this is also about you being very clear. Grab your journal and again, pause this video or write this prompt for later after this lesson to write in your journal about your vision. Now, let's think about what your vision means. It means your ideal life. What would it mean for you to be successful in all areas of your life? What is your vision in five years time, let's say. Usually we tend to underestimate what we can do in such a long time, but we also overestimate the things that we can do in a shorter period of time. So I think that the five-years vision is always something that I can look forward to because I know I have enough time to tweak some steps along the way to become more flexible to learn what I need to learn in order to step into that vision. Now, let's start just with this question. What is your vision for the next five years? Where do you see your life on a personal level and the professional level in the next five years. If it helps, you can also use the Wheel of Life, which is a tool that we use in coaching in order to understand where we're at right now and where we want to be. The Wheel of Life is divided in ten to 12 sections and it has different grades that you can evaluate for your life. Now, once you look at this, just evaluate where you are at right now. Because of course, all we are striving for is to be at ten for all these areas. Then take a moment and journal about what areas of your life you want to improve and how you want to do that. What does ten mean for you and how does it look like in each area of your life? Another exercise that you can do in order to be more clear and specific about your vision is to write in your journal the following prompt. Describe your ideal day five years from now. My suggestion is when you do this exercise, you first look in the calendar. What is the date of the present moment, and then change the year to five years from now. So for instance, if today was the 20th of April 2021, then you will write in your journal 20th of April, 2026. And you will start writing as if you are living in that present moment and you are describing what is happening from morning until evening in your life. What is your ideal life? What is your ideal day? 4. Lesson 3: Creating a Visionboard: Now both of these exercises, the Wheel of Life and the ideal they exercise, are meant to help you create a vision board. A vision board is a visual representation, a mix of images that represent your ideal life five years from now. You want to perhaps include on your vision board different aspects about how your life looks like. You can start with going through some old magazines and curates and crop the pictures that you want to use for your vision board. And after that, to put them together on your piece of paper or canvas. And create that vision board with pictures that represent your ideal self and the ideal ways in which you want to spend your time and which you want to show up for your envisions life. I have been using the tool of vision board for over five years now and I'm already on my third vision board. I admit I started with vision boards just for one year or two years, and it turns out they came true. So now I created a vision board that is representative for the next five years. And it feels so aligned. I keep it at home in a place where I can see it every single day and every time when I wake up and look at it, I remind myself of what I am looking forward to. It includes different words, different values that I have for my personal life and for my business. It includes different pictures of moments I would like to bring and attract into my life. It's important that you get this clarity because our brain loves visual representations and the vision board has been tested by so many people and it works. It's also a fun way to create your vision, your success, and to start your journaling prompts from there. Because once you have that vision board, you can also journal about your successful life. You can journal about it in the present moment and feel that you have already manifested and you have already brought it into your reality. Or you can write about the decisions that you're making along the way and set goals that will take you closer to that vision. 5. Lesson 4: Setting the goals & action plan: Sciences that writing down your goals improves the chances to accomplish them by 42%. This is huge because it means that when you write down your goals, you also take accountability. You write it down. And it means that you are now committed to accomplishing that goal. And you are also telling someone the paper that you are ready for that goal. It means that you are starting to have a clear vision of that. And you can set the steps that will take you closer to accomplishing that goal. Now, if you are thinking, well, Alex, I don't have any goals. I don't know what my goals are. Then I invite you to be open minded and curious because all of your goals are already inside of you. Your dreams and everything that you want to create in this world has been already planted in your mind and in your soul. You just have to bring it to surface. Try this exercise several times with your ideal day, your ideal life, your definition of success and your vision for the next five years, and see what comes up for you. If you still have resistance when it comes to portraying your vision, then just take some time away and meditate more. Feel more aligned with your present moment. Be aware, work on your present awareness, and then from there, you can start looking forward to your vision. Another way of resisting your goals is thinking, well, I have so many goals. How do I start? Well, the truth is that you are the only expert. You are the only one who will be able to prioritize in the best way possible, you know what's important for you. And perhaps you want to just check back in with your values and how you're feeling and just also be very realistic. It's important that you start with what is most important for you right now and get started from there. Because once you start accomplishing one goal, you will see that it impacts all the other areas of your life. Then you can start working with the other aspects and you will start in, you will get more and more clarity. You can also work with a coach or a mentor in order to find that clarity and in order to be guided and supported throughout this process. And of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in our sessions. Okay, So now you are more clear about your vision and your goals. You are now going to start creating your plan of action. Why does a plan of action, it means that your goal, which is intended to bring you closer to your vision, is going to be broken down into small steps that you can take in a shorter time. So let's say that your vision is for five-years. Your goals are going to be maybe goals for six months or for one year. These will take you closer to your vision. Now to implement these goals and to achieve them, you are going to create a plan of action that will take you step-by-step. You can reverse engineer this and you can start working in reverse chronological order, for instance, and see what you need to accomplish. For instance, every month in order to get to that goal. Or you can start with very small actions. What is it that you can start with right now? To make the first step and move the needle. What is the first action that you can take tomorrow? It's essential that you have a very clear timeline as well. As I mentioned, you can have a goal for the next six months. So your plan of action will be accordingly for the next six months with different steps and milestones. When you decide what are the mini goals that will lead you to that specific goal, for instance, launching a new business or getting a certificate, then you want to know what exactly are the steps, what you need to do along the way, what are the deadlines for each and every step? This is the power of planning and being very specific with your goals. It will also give you a beautiful sense of moving forward when you check back in with your plan of action and you start seeing things moving along. And you start seeing that you are accomplishing many of the steps that you are taking. Of course, it will be up to you to make your job easier and to break it down in small steps. And this way you will not feel overwhelmed. This is where we're going to bring in the daily planner, which is going to be our next lesson. But until then, just make sure you are very clear on your goals and your vision. And then breaking it down will really help you with strategizing. Now I have different ways that I teach my students and clients about setting goals. And the one that I want to share with you is the one that really helped me as well. Working back from the goals towards the baby steps and towards the daily actions is really the best way that helps you implement small steps and take actions every day. It's true. Sometimes you will be working on multiple goals at the same time. And that is perfectly fine. Just be aware to not overwhelm yourself with too much work so that at the end of the day then you will have an excuse to say, Well, it was too much, I cannot handle this. It will not motivate you. Instead, you will feel disempowered. So it's your responsibility to make you feel empowered. Your journal is there to support you and to help you to plan accordingly, not to give you an extra burden, wants to use that journal and this sessions for journaling and planning for your own benefit. So make sure that when you are planning, you are very realistic with the timeline width, also the number of hours that you have during the day, because we all have the same number of hours. Be flexible also because life happens. And sometimes you need to take care of some priorities that overcome your goals and make sure that you realign and revisit your plan. Frequently. Use the following exercise. What is one goal that will take you closer to your vision? Think about something that needs to happen in the next six months. Now, look at planning what needs to happen every month for you to reach that goal. Then think about what needs to happen every week. To reach that goal. Then be brave and go even deeper and start planning daily actions that take you closer. Put this down in your journal and start working towards your dreams. After all, you are the only one who can accomplish your goals and you will have that level of satisfaction when you are very clear on your goals, your objectives, and you will know that your definition of success and your vision that you are accomplishing, make sure that you are taking daily action. You are enjoying the journey and that you are celebrating the wins along the way. In the next video, we're going to talk about scheduling your actions into your day. 6. Lesson 5: Scheduling Daily Tasks: Okay, so now you have an action plan and you are breaking it down into small steps. It's important that you bring each and every step into your daily routine. Now if this is the first time when you are planning your day and you're structuring your schedule, I invite you to start with very simple steps. For instance, right down in your journal on bullet points. The smallest activities that you have to do throughout the day, even the ones that you are doing without thinking, such as brushing your teeth or making your bed, preparing dinner, anything that has to do with your day-to-day life, write it down in your journal, make this a habit in the morning to go through your list. Then in the evening to check off your list, the things that you have done, you will see how satisfying it feels when you check off the list, the things that you have done, even if it's the most mundane habits that you have. But this way, you will start seeing the power of journaling and keeping your daily planner close to you in order to follow up for your success. Remember that staying flexible is really important here because there will be days when you will not be able to accomplish everything that's on your list, maybe at first you will get frustrated, but then try to be more compassionate with yourself. You can still move your goals and your actions from today to the next day. You can maybe review the list and see if that was something that it's still important to do tomorrow, or maybe it's not even important to do anymore. The crucial part here is that you don't stay in that frustration because it's not going to help you. And instead it's going to block queue and it will make you feel resistance to keeping the list and to scheduling your day. Now, a daily planner is actually more than just a journal. You can combine it with your journal and you can keep your morning routine with journaling about your gratitude list. Then starting with planning your intentions and your goals for the day. And also then you can use this for the evening. When you review your list, you review what has happened, what lessons you learned during that day, and what you're grateful for. Now, you can also have another notebook or you can use the same journal for planning your day and scheduling your appointments or meetings, calls, anything that has to do with your day-to-day life and things that needs to happen at the specific hours. Otherwise, of course, you can also use a digital calendar. But I personally prefer a daily agenda that I write in because if it's not written down, it's not going to happen. When it comes to the daily planner, the most useful tool is going to be the list. You are going to use bullet points or lines or anything that makes you feel good when you create the list of your day. You can make sure that you allocate some blocks of time for every specific action may be also schedule them throughout the day at specific hours. Make sure you don't spread yourself too thin throughout the day. And also that you plan time for your self-care and for your mental health. Even include time with your family or nurturing your relationships if that is something that you feel might be overlooked. So make sure that it's also in your daily planner on your list. Remember, your list is your friend. Very many people come to me and tell me, Alex, I hate lists. I feel like that list is chasing me throughout the day and I just cannot escape it. Well, the truth is that you want to make the list, your friend role. It's you who are using the list and not the other way round. So it's up to you to break down those actions into very actionable steps and to make sure that you are planning your day in a way that feels good and supportive for your lifestyle, for the time that you have to take also flexibility. Like I said, it's really important to stay open because otherwise you will lose your motivation. You'll feel frustrated, you will feel disappointed, and it's really not going to help you. 7. Lesson 6: Keeping track of Productivity: Flexibility means reordering your priorities and reviewing your list along the way. But it also means that when you stay open-minded, you might notice some new opportunities along the way. If you have a very clear goal in your mind and you know that each step is taking you closer to that goal, then you can evaluate in front of an opportunity whether you want to say yes or no. This is white clarity is very important when it comes to your vision and your goals. Because when you are encountering new opportunities, you can then be very certain whether you decide to go for it or to let it go, keep track of your progress every day. That's why it's important to review your list at the end of the day because you are planning your day in the morning and then you are reviewing to see what was done and what needs to be done the next day. I personally prefer to create a weekly schedule and on Sunday evenings, I sit down with my journal and I go through what needs to happen during that week. I plan it accordingly. And then every day I look at my list and I adjust it if I need to do. But it's important for me to have a clear view. And this way, I can make sure that I plan around my meetings, my appointments, and be able to also scheduling some flexible time to take care of myself or two alice with my personal and social life. It also helps you that at the end of the day, you review this daily schedule because you can then look at what was helpful. What were the obstacles that you encountered? What was the feedback? How did it make you feel and what needs to change? You are learning lessons every single day. It's important that you stay open and aware of these lessons so that you don't keep repeating the mistakes. Instead, you are looking at what was given to you and make it better the next time. Also remember to celebrate the wins. It doesn't matter how small or big it is. Every single positive step towards your goal is something that deserves to be celebrated. Even it is just by giving a clap to yourself or dancing around the house, or maybe going for ice cream. It's just a way for you to celebrate. Anything that you do deserves this because you are taking action and it's something that very many people don't do. So you are already ahead of them. You are not comparing yourself to them. You are comparing yourself to the version of you from yesterday. So if you are taking action every single day, it means that you are already getting closer to your goal. There are many ways in which you can plan your day and this is something that you will have to test and try for yourself. There are blocks of time that you can use and maybe write in your journal that you are working for 45 minutes and then taking a ten minutes break. Or you can maybe just look at specific times in the day when you have something very clear that you need to do an appointment or a meeting. And based on that, then you can be more flexible with the rest of your day. Just be open to creating a schedule that serves you and creating the list of the things that needs to get done in that day. I can't even tell you how satisfying is going to be when at the end of the day you just check off everything from your list. Try it and let me know how it goes. In conclusion, your daily planner is there to support you, to help you get closer to your successful ideal life. You are taking actions towards your goals, and that is the most important thing. You want to schedule every day to be according to your ideal life and you want to strive for that part. Now of course, there will be days when you are going on holiday and you take a break and then you don't need a daily planner for that. There will be days when you have a list full of things that you need to do, but somehow you just feel so low, or maybe you have some health issues and you won't be able to accomplish that. Be gentle with yourself and make sure that you have those lists and those daily planners schedules working for you and you don't become a slave of your list. After all, your journal and your planner is there to support you accomplish a successful life. 8. Lesson 7: Using Bullet Journaling: The bullet journal method is a productivity system created by Ryder Carroll, designer who is based in New York. It's a very simple yet complex system, but once you get comfortable with it, its only purpose is to help you live intentionally. Now, I personally love this part because it's important that you have the intention and purpose. This is what we've been talking about from the beginning of this course that you need to have intention and purpose when you're writing your journal. With this productivity system, you can try it out, see how it feels and it fits for you. I wanted to bring it to your attention because it's very popular and I know so very many people try it out and they also customize it. If you look now all over the Internet, there are so many collections and so many ways to create a bullet journal or Boudreau. And you can be part of that community and really understand how it works. I wanted to give you a bit of an idea of what the system is about and see if it's something that you want to try. The movement journal is made of index collections, future log, monthly log and daily log. The methods used in the bullet journal are rapid logging, bullet points and migration. This is how it works. The future log is where you just dump out your ideas about everything that you want to accomplish in the future. This is more or less the space where you put down your vision and you write about the goals that you have to accomplish in order to get to that vision. There is no hard timeline here. You just write it down and make a list out of that future plan. After that, you start writing and transferring each of these goals in a month. You are creating a monthly log, and that is by creating a calendar of your month and then writing in that month what needs to happen? This is more like the monthly goals that I was talking about and this is how you are going to just list them out according to the timeline and the plan of action that you have. Here. You can also put a deadline if the date is exactly in that month. So for instance, in the March log, you are going to write that you want to publish an article in that magazine by 15th of March. That means that you already know what is the deadline and you are going to make it happen during that timeframe. Every time when you start a new page, whether it's a monthly log or a daily log, you will put the beginning of the page, the topic. And after you write the monthly log, you will now move into daily logs. Now, there are different ways in which you can use the daily logs. You can be very specific and you can just write with bullet points what exactly it is that you want to accomplish on that day. You can also maybe take some time to reflect upon your day. But this is not really the purpose of bullet journaling. After all, it's really a systematic way of being productive and intentional with your daily plan. You can check in with your monthly log to see what exactly needs to happen on that specific day and then look at your daily routine, maybe some activities that just needs to happen on that day or perhaps if you have a more flexible day, then you have time to just accomplish something that was perhaps scheduled for another time. There are different ways in which we can mark in your bullet journal the specific tasks or events that need to happen. And of course, you can use the bullet journal method of systematically organizing them. Or you can use your own personal system every month, makes sure that you review the future log to see what from that list of goals you can bring into that specific month and put it down. Then every day when you start scheduling, go back to your monthly log and look what you can plan for that day that is going to get you closer or even accomplish one of those goals that you have put down in your monthly log. Now at the end of the day when you start reviewing the list that you had for the actions of the day, you are going to decide if you have done that activity, then you can cross it off your list. If not, you can migrate it to the next day or the next week or even evaluate if it's still important and maybe it's not. So then you can just forget about it. Cross it off your list. Otherwise, it might have lost its priority. So maybe you want to put it in the future log because it's no longer important to make it happen now or the next day. So just if you need to keep track of it, move it and migrated to the future log just to have it there in case you want to come back to it later on. If you look at your future Logan, you have bigger projects that you want to accomplish and it's not something that you can actually take step-by-step on a daily basis, then you can create a collection. Collections are a summary of projects that require a lot of planning. This is where you're going to place, for instance, a collection of your new gardening project. Perhaps you are going to start a garden in your house. And you want to make sure that you have all the steps you need to take for that specific project. Now this is not an easy project because it will take a lot of resources and learning and you need to make sure that you have all of these things planned out. So you are going to use a collection. And collections can take as many pages as they need to know. The secret to bullet journaling is also number your pages. If you buy, for instance, and notebook that already has numbers on their pages, then it's going to be easier. Otherwise, you can just do it manually. But this is the part where you are going to look at indexing your journal. The first page of your journal is going to be your index and you are going to fill it in every time when you create a new page. So for instance, the first few pages will be about your future log. So you will write that down. The Future Log in the number of pages. Then you will have a monthly log. You will write that down in the index and the page where you can find that monthly log, then there will be a series of very logs which may or may not be included in the index. After all, you know that it's important to track down according to your month. And if you really want to go deeper and notice the daily logs, then you can just do so. But your review of the daily logs is going to be on a day-to-day basis. So it's not necessarily that you're going to have it in your index. However, if you have collections, that is where you want to be very specific and number the pages. As I said, some collections can be very spread out and you might need more pages. And if there is something else coming in between, that's perfectly fine. Just make sure you write the correct numbers in your index. Now, this productivity system is something that's very specific and easy to use. I think that it has a lot of advantages and of course you can try it out and see how it fits your lifestyle. Now, it's important that you also understand that you can customize this bullet journal because it's not set in stone. You can literally take some parts of it that you really love and that you feel aligned with and you can skip some others. Also, as I said, if you now go online and you search for bullet journal or Boudreau, they're going to be so many examples of journals with beautiful paintings and drawings and colors and all sorts of mixed drawings and visuals that bring together the creativity of that person. There are no rules. You don't need to do that if you are not inclined to drawing. But also if you want to do so, go for it. There are no limits to our imagination and your creativity. Remember that your journal is an expression of who you are, is an expression of your identity. It needs to feel good every single time when you sit down with your journal and you start writing. This is true, of course, for any type of journal that you've decided to start and you can customize it in any way that you want. As I said, it has to create a pleasant experience for you. But at the same time, if you are more on the minimalistic side, that's absolutely fine. The journal is there to serve its purpose and you know best, what is your intention? If you're not clear, then go back to the previous modules and set your intention for your journal. This way you will know what exactly needs to happen in your pages and you will know how much time you want to dedicate to this part. 9. Lesson 8: Evaluating your Performance: Whether you decide to go forward the bullet journal method or for any other journaling method to track your performance, it's important to see your progress in order to understand where you are on your success path. After all, how else are you going to understand and evaluate what needs to change or adapt if you are losing track of your vision. Stay focused and get used to tracking your performance and being productive. Evaluating and measuring can sometimes feel like it's taking out the fun of the journey. But I promise you that you are going to love that is taking you really closer to your goals. Because after all, you might lose some track. You might get distracted along the way. And with the performance tracking, you will be able to come back and follow that path towards your goals, hobbies, and your passions. So make sure you allocate time for all of these areas in order to grow as a human being. Performance in all areas of your life is what we're striving for. And it's important that you look at it from the perspective of having a climbing ladder instead of a flat line. You don't want to get stuck in your comfort zone and you don't want to just reach a plateau and stay there. You want to be constantly growing and your journal is going to be your witness for all of that journey. After all, this is why there are so many different types of journals out there to support you along the way and to track your steps. So let's say, for instance, that in your vision, one of your goals is to be healthy. Everyone has this goal. But you don't want to be specific. You want to create more awareness around your diet and your fitness routine. You want to work out more and have a healthy body. How can you accomplish that? Well, let's say that you decide to have a diet and fitness journal. This is where you're going to become specific first with your goal. What is your goal? If you're simply saying that I want a healthy body, you want to be a little bit more specific because this is what's going to motivate you. What does a healthy body mean? What does a healthy lifestyle mean? How can you change that identity that you associate with health? And how can you make that happen for you? Set some milestones, set some goals. Perhaps the number of days that you want to work out throughout the week, perhaps the number of meals that you want to change or the list of groceries that you want to pay more attention to. This is going to be your way of tracking your performance towards reaching this goal of a healthy lifestyle. In order to make this kind of shifts, you want to identify yourself with that future version of you, that identity of yourself, who is leaving that vision of you being healthy and feeling good? Let's take another example. You are getting ready to get married. Let's use a wedding journal. There are so many things that you need to plan and you want to make sure that everything goes smoothly. So you might want to create a mood board with the colors. You might want to have lists of venues. You might want to have a list of guests and different other things that you are planning to have in your wedding. So this journal is really going to help you keep track of planning your wedding and it's going to ease your process. This is the purpose of a journal when it comes to tracking performance to make it easy for you. 10. Lesson 9: Tracking Hobbies & Habits: How about starting a new hobby? Maybe you want to try learning a new instrument or you want to start a new sport. How are you going to track your progress? Use a journal. Make sure that you create some goals and steps along the way that you want to hit towards your goal. This will keep you motivated. This will give you that push and that motivation whenever you feel like, why am I doing this, you will have the inspiration. You will know that your journal is there and is waiting for you to login what you have been practicing. Travel journaling is also another important type of journal that very many people want to use to track their memories. Perhaps you are very passionate traveler and you might even have a journal with the list of places you want to see. Now, once you get there, you want to also have the memories of those places, not just the picture is in your smartphone. So with your journal, you are going to want to write down the stories and everything that really touches your heart from that specific experience. In this way, you will be able to remember it through time, somehow in traveling and during holidays, we all become writers. We just wanted to be created, we just want to keep those memories forever. This is why journaling is also a really great way to store your beautiful happy memories. When you're writing your travel journal, make sure that you also track how you're doing. Track your emotions, reflect, and just be open about anything that comes up for you, write it in your travel journal. A dream journal is also another way of tracking your dreams and what your subconscious wants to tell you. When we dream during the night, there are messages that come up from our inner world, our subconscious. Maybe there is something that you were looking for an answer for, and it comes up in your dreams. It's not something that happens by chance, so you might want to listen to it. Keep a journal next to your bed. And if you are able to remember that dream, write it down as soon as you wake up, otherwise you might forget it. But the way that you interpret those dreams is going to be your own way. You are the master of your life. You are the best expert and you are going to be the one who understands that message best. So don't try to read different ways on the intranet of what that specific message means. It has to be something that is specific to you and you are going to be the only one if you tune in with your intuition, who understands what your subconscious has to say? It will take practice, but a dream journal is really going to help you become more aware of that deep inner world. Let's say that you want to enhance your practices with spirituality. Then you might want to use a journal that keeps track of your performance and how you are including these habits into your life. You are going to be very specific with your plan of action. You are going to maybe set goals and just create that routine. Just like with anything else. When you start a new habit, you want to keep it going for at least 21 days to see if it fits your lifestyle. Otherwise, if you're not really into it, I'm sure that you are going to give it up after the first two days, whatever it is that you decide to start as a new hobby or as a new practice. Stick with it. Think about it first and then decide if you want to stick with it for the next 21 days, then you can do so. You can use your journal to track your performance. You can also use a career journal that is going to help you to get more clarity around the next step in your career. Think about what is the ideal job that you would like to get. Journal about it, maybe use some helping questions that are going to support you in this exercise. What skills do I have? What job would be according to my values? Do I want to work from home? Do I want to work from an office? Do I want to work for a big company or a small startup? What is the impact that I want to make? What change do I want to bring in the world? Who do I want to impact with my work? Write this down and it will give you some clarity when it comes to looking for new jobs and applying for interviews. This is also going to be important that we are honest and also look at your priorities in this very moment. All in all, keeping a journal to track your performance is going to be the enhancement and the boost for your motivation when it comes to seeing your success path coming to completion when you set a goal and then you start with those simple actions every single day. It's important to also take time and evaluate and measure where you are at. With every single step along the way you get closer. But at the same time, it's very possible that some actions might not be according to your plan. And that's okay. You just need to focus and look at how can you do better? Or perhaps it's time to change that plan. Flexible, be honest with yourself. And your performance is going to increase every time with every hobby that you take or with every other aspect of your life, It's important that you have a very good awareness of it because this is what the art of journaling is going to do for a successful life. You are already gaining your success step-by-step. You are already doing it. And it's important that you are aware that you are accomplishing success on your own terms. It's your definition, your vision, and your goals. So go ahead and go accomplish your goals. Happy journaling and happy tracking. 11. PROJECT: Okay, it's time for a new project. Now that we have discussed about journaling for productivity and performance, it's time to put that into practice. So I want to invite you to start with creating the goals for your next month. Now, this of course means that you are also going to do the homework and the exercises in all the other lessons. You are going to look at your definition of success. You are going to look at what is your vision and how does a successful life look for you? And you are also going to start planning accordingly with different goals. Now break it down into the next month goals. What is it that you want to accomplish for your personal life or your professional life? And for all the other aspects. What is it that you are going to do every week to get closer to that goal? And how can you take action every single day to help you achieve that goal? Now you are going to decide what method is best for you, whether you choose the bullet journal method or anything else in order to track your performance, I want you to be committed and to enjoy the journey. Makes sure that you track your performance and then report back with an essay about how your experience was and what were the goals that you've accomplished. Get creative and share with us what is the best way for you to track your goals and what are the obstacles that you have encountered when you started tracking your performance towards your goals. If you also want to share your vision with us, please do feel free to do so. It's not mandatory because it's going to be personal for you, but you are also welcome to do so.