The Importance of Daily Journaling for Continuous Improvement
Introduction
"Writing shapes your thinking, and thinking shapes your
personality." - Anonymous quote
To understand the concept of Continuous improvement, let’s
take an example from the sports Arena. The British Cycling team’s
remarkable journey from mediocrity to Olympic gold is a testament to the power
of continuous improvement. Let’s delve into their story:
Sir Dave Brailsford in
2002, took over as the head of British Cycling. At that time, the team had a lackluster
track record, having won only a single gold medal in its 76-year history. Brailsford’s
vision was ambitious: to transform British cycling into a powerhouse of
excellence. Brailsford and his team adopted three core principles, which they
called “the podium principles”. They focused on developing a winning strategy. Beyond
cycling, they explored behavioral psychology and created an environment for
peak performance. The continuous improvement principle became their secret
weapon.
The Aggregation of Marginal Gains: Brailsford’s approach was revolutionary. He believed in seeking tiny improvements in every aspect of the team’s operations. This philosophy, known as “the aggregation of marginal gains,” involved making small, incremental improvements across various areas. Whether it was bike design, nutrition, training routines, or recovery protocols, they scrutinized every detail.
The results were astounding, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, British cyclists won seven out of 10 gold medals available in track cycling. They repeated this feat at the London Olympics four years later. Brailsford now leads Britain’s first-ever professional cycling team, which has secured three of the last four Tour de France titles. The Power of 1%, Brailsford’s commitment to incremental gains paid off. Each small improvement added up to significant overall progress. Whether it was shaving milliseconds off lap times, optimizing recovery, or fine-tuning equipment, they left no stone unturned.
From the above example, you can imagine, how powerful the concept is to keep adding daily continuous improvement. When seen in isolation, they may not seem too big. But the cumulative impact of this can be life-transforming.
How daily journaling plays a crucial role in fostering continuous improvement.
When you are on your journey of daily improvement, it is
important to keep recording the progress made every day, and in that process, the concept of Daily Journaling is a great tool.
Understanding Journaling
Journaling ideally should be done using a physical journal
and manual writing. However, if are more comfortable using digital
technology, there are several free and paid platforms available which can be used
for daily journaling.
Here is a brief
overview of the history and evolution of journaling:
The earliest known
journals date back to the 10th century in Japan, where monks used “nikki” or
diaries to document their daily lives, spiritual experiences, and
observations. These diaries provided valuable insights into the culture
and history of Japan.
In ancient Rome,
notable figures such as Julius Caesar and Marcus Aurelius kept personal
journals. Caesar’s journals documented his military campaigns, while Aurelius’s
“Meditations” offered philosophical reflections on life, morality, and
leadership. These writings continue to be studied and revered today for
their wisdom.
During the Middle
Ages, monastic communities played a significant role in the development of
journaling. Monks maintained journals known as “daybooks” or “daily registers”,
recording their spiritual experiences, religious insights, and daily routines. These
journals served as a means of self-examination and spiritual growth, often
containing beautiful illuminations and artwork.
The Renaissance
period saw the emergence of personal diaries as a literary form. Prominent
individuals like Leonardo da Vinci and Samuel Pepy kept detailed diaries,
documenting their daily lives, thoughts, and experiences. Leonardo’s notebooks,
filled with sketches, inventions, and musings, provide invaluable insights into
the mind of a genius. Pepys’s diary, spanning from 1659 to 1669, gives a
vivid account of life in 17th-century England, including the Great Fire of
London and the Great Plague.
The Enlightenment
era marked a shift towards the use of journals for intellectual exploration and
philosophical discourse. Prominent Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire,
Rousseau, and John Locke maintained journals to record their thoughts on
politics, society, and human nature. These journals not only shaped their
own ideas but also influenced the broader intellectual movements of the time.
In the 19th
century, journaling became a popular pastime for travelers, explorers, and
writers. Notable diarists like Charles Darwin, who documented his voyage
on the HMS Beagle, and Anne Frank, who recorded her experiences in hiding
during World War II, left behind invaluable accounts of their lives and times.
In the 20th
century, journaling began to be recognized for its therapeutic benefits.
Psychologists like Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud used journals to explore their
own subconscious and analyze their dreams. Journaling also became a tool
for personal development and self-expression, as exemplified by the works of
Anaïs Nin, Henry David Thoreau, and Virginia Woolf.
In the 21st
century, journaling has evolved and adapted to the digital age. Online
platforms like blogs, social media, and apps have enabled people to share their
journals with a wider audience, as well as access their journals from anywhere,
anytime. However, many people still prefer the traditional pen-and-paper method,
as it offers a more intimate and tactile experience.
Journaling is a timeless and universal practice
that can enrich one’s life in many ways. Whether you journal for personal
growth, creative expression, or simply for fun, you are part of a rich and
diverse tradition that spans centuries and cultures.
The Benefits of Daily Journaling
Self-Reflection: When we do daily journaling about our day-to-day
life of all important and mundane activities, we tend to rewind the day and
reflect on what went well and what was not so good. It’s a way to also subconsciously
tell our brain to store both good and bad as it is. When a similar situation
arises in the future, our subconscious mind can draw from the previous
experience and guide us to do the right thing. Journaling helps us to capture
our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, helping us understand ourselves better. Many times, we want to express something to someone but are not able to do it for whatever reason.
Goal Setting and Achievement: This is a very powerful method
to set goals and achieve them. In the journal, you can set, track, and
achieve personal and professional goals. Each major goal can be broken into
smaller daily tasks and focused on the day’s task to complete. This also gives a
positive feedback loop to your confidence and encourages you to stay focused on
the larger goal. And on some days, when you fall back, there is always a fresh
chance to amend or gain back the momentum and then proceed further.
Enhancing Creativity: This is very true especially from the
creativity field or people with an innovative mindset. Regular practice of
writing can unlock creative thinking and problem-solving skills. For example, let’s
say, you want to improve your writing skills. A daily 200-word journal on a subject
over some time will substantially improve your writing skills.
Stress Reduction: In the journal, we can freely express
anything, as that is the private space, we have only for ourselves. This can really
help in reducing stress in a relationship. This process is also called Mind
Dump or Brain Dump. You are simply pouring out everything in your journal without
having any inhibitions of being judged for your thoughts. This step is deeply therapeutic
as well.
Memory and Comprehension: This is a no-brainer; writing is
the most conscious activity. When you daily write about your personal and
professional life in your journal, there is a very high chance of retaining that
information for a very long time. Take the example of students at any level of
education, they are always advised by teachers or professors to practice what
they have learned through writing. Though Journaling is not meant for memory
and comprehension only, in the process of daily journaling this aspect
automatically improves. Journaling definitely helps in understanding life
events better, which unless recorded effectively, the insight will be lost.
Journaling for Continuous Improvement
Feedback Loop: This is a great technique to learn about the
past and modulate our behavior for the future. In everyday life, we succeed in
something and we fail in many things. When both the successes and failures are
recorded in great detail, that process provides the feedback loop to the conscious
mind and then eventually stores that input in the subconscious mind. So in case
of any similar situation in the past, our consciousness can draw from
the experience and also the information from the subconscious mind. This
technique is great in terms of tracking the progress over time.
Identifying Patterns and Habits:
Let me give a simple and doable exercise to use. For the
next 30 days, try to track your day in blocks of 1 hour or 2 hours, for the 16
hours of active state. Let’s say, you wake up normally by 7 am the morning,
make a simple sheet-like
|
Time Block |
Activity |
|
7am to 8 am |
Daily Chores |
|
8 am to 9 am |
Exercise/Yoga |
|
9 am to 10 am |
Work |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Be honest and sincere about what you are feeling. Please note this is not others, so be brutally truthful to yourself.
When you simply record your active day in blocks of 1 or 2
hours for 30 days, you will be able analyze, how you are using or misusing the
time daily. Post the 30-day analysis, you will consciously try to be more
productive than before. Along similar lines, regular journaling can help you identify
beneficial and harmful patterns or habits.
Overcoming Challenges:
Please remember, when you are starting this journey, you may
find it difficult and less motivated to continue the process, especially, if
had a ordinary or bad at the office or in your personal life. Don’t be too critical
about yesterday. Now that it is gone you can’t change anything. But if you use
the Mind Dump/ Brain Dump technique, you can actually criticize yourself in the
journal as if you are addressing to a third person.
Use the Habit Stacking technique, which we have learned
earlier. This means, the Daily Journaling follows another activity and also precedes
another activity daily. When you embed the Daily Journaling between two daily
activities, there is a very high chance of you being able to face the initial
challenges and then eventually it becomes a daily habit.
How to Start and Maintain a Daily Journaling Habit
Choosing Your Medium: Selecting between digital and
traditional paper journals based on personal preference. Whichever you feel
more comfortable to use, start with that. Because while forming a new habit,
you don’t want any resistance in the initial phase itself. Once you're comfortable
with the process for a few months, you may explore the other options.
Creating a Routine: Tips for integrating journaling into
daily life, finding the best time of day, and making it a habit. The best times
for Daily Journaling will be either last thing before you sleep or just after
you wake up. Both are very powerful stages of the day when our subconscious
mind can play a very important role.
What to Write About:
A broad guideline can be as under;
Always start with a sense of gratitude for whatever you have
right now. You can thank God, and all others in your life. You can thank anyone useful/helpful in the previous day. And then, you can write about the
following;
How was the day?
What was good?
What was not good?
Who was good?
Who was tough?
What new thing have I learned?
Any other thoughts that are hitting you at the time of
journaling may be recorded. There is no writing of the wrong way of Daily Journaling.
Everything is right as per your need.
The journal can also have your to-do list for the next day,
which might have some activities that are not done in the previous day.
Further Resources
Atomic Habits
How
1% Performance Improvements Led to Olympic Gold (hbr.org)
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