Goal Gal Deb Eckerling Kicks Off National Journaling Week

Journaling for Decision Making
and Problem Solving

By Debra Eckerling, author and Goal Chat Gal

April is National Journaling Month.

 

When people think of journaling, they typically think of the traditional use: Writing down what’s going on in your life – your actions, activities, and emotions - for tracking, reflection, and healing. 

One of my favorite ways to use a journal is for decision-making and problem-solving. . 

 

From career and partnership opportunities to plot and character development, journaling helps you get those ideas out of your head and onto the page, so you can look at things objectively and make plans.

 

Professionally, do you need to decide: 

● Between job offers?

● Whether a joint venture is a fit for your business?

● If you should take on a particular client? 

 

Creatively, do you need some insight into:

● Plotting options

● Character arcs and traits 

● Working through a scene, conflict, or conversation 

 

To gain clarity, try my Directed Journaling technique. Directed journaling is stream-of-consciousness writing spurts, focused on a specific theme, issue, or problem. 

 

Here’s how Directed Journaling works:

In your electronic calendar, schedule between three and five 15-minute sessions over a few days. Be sure to set a reminder. 

 

When you get the alert for your appointment, set a timer for 15 minutes, and start writing. Note: While there are benefits to writing by hand, if you are more likely to complete the process by typing on a computer, go for it!

 

During each journaling session, focus on the question, decision, or challenge at hand. When you do your journaling, think outside the box. Be as logical and as extreme as possible. Your journal rants are for your eyes only. And don’t worry about repeating yourself. The trick is to get everything out of your head and onto the page.

 

Here’s the Trick

Do not read any of these journal entries until you have done the brainstorming several times.

 

Once you have exhausted your thoughts on the subject, then you may read the journal entries. 

As you go through them, make a note of the ideas you repeat – those are what you are most drawn to. You may also come up with solutions that seem to come from left-field. That’s what happens during this process. 

 

Final Thoughts 

Journaling enables you to open yourself up to all possibilities and look at them objectively - whether it’s for a creative or professional venture. As a result, you are likely to come up with a successful solution, comfortable decision, or feasible plan that sets you up for success. 

 

About Today’s Guest Blogger Debra Eckerling: 

Goal strategist Debra Eckerling is the award-winning author of Your Goal Guide and founder of the D*E*B METHOD® for goal-setting simplified. A speaker, corporate consultant, and workshop leader, she offers personal and professional planning, event strategy, and team-building for executives, entrepreneurs, consultants, and companies. Debra has spoken on stages for TEDx, Innovation Women, SCORE LA, and more, and is the host of the #GoalChatLive show and The DEB Show podcast.

 

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER 

Carolyn  Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered in its third edition by Modern History Press. She is also the author of" How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically." She has two booklets in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series, both in their second editions from Modern History Press. "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "The Great First Impression Book Proposal" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor" (https://bit.ly/FrugalEditor), recently released in its third edition, is the winningest book in the series. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it help them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow for news on her new releases direct from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.