10 Ways to Organize Your Life by Journaling

We rely pretty heavily on technology. Most of us are addicted to our phones and are running a number of apps at any given moment of the day. Our dependency on our devices often gets the short end of the stick and is considered to be negative, but we need to consider the context in which we use them. There’s no disputing the fact that we can lose hours of our time and productivity on mindless nonsense through our devices. However, what’s not talked about as often is how our devices and the services we access through them can help us be more efficient with our time and encourage productivity.

We already use our devices to schedule work meetings, set parking reminders on our phones and track the calories we consume, among other things. But how can we be even more productive and stay even better organized? We’re happy you asked! Journaling allows you to organize essentially every part of your life and one of the best things about JRNL is that it’s accessible any time, across all devices so you don’t ever have to miss a beat.

Journals are not just for revealing the most vulnerable parts of our inner selves. They are great receptacles for to-do lists, short and long term goals, spur-of-the-moment ideas, inspiration, personal insights and more. We know it can be difficult to find the time to journal when you’re busy but it’s in these moments that your journal can be of most help.

Let’s take a look at the different ways journaling will help you get organized and be in control of your life.

1. Organize your thoughts. This is a great place to start. Our minds run a mile a minute and take in an abundance of information every day. New information comes in, old information gets pushed out and there’s a whole lot in between that goes unaccounted for. Writing things down as they happen will help you filter through the mental clutter and identify what needs your attention. The habit of writing will often encourage other thoughts that we may not have otherwise explored and can lead to great personal development.
2. Organize your genius ideas. If you’ve got a creative and innovative mind, you probably have bright ideas around the clock but forget them by morning. Journaling is a great way to record those thoughts, prioritize them and create action plans that will bring them to life.
3. Organize your money. Saving money can sometimes be more about awareness than willpower. An important part of any savings plan is documenting where your money goes. Writing down all your expenses from your morning latte to your child’s tuition will provide you with deeper insight into your spending habits and as a result, you will be less inclined to spend frivolously. Get started with our budget template.
4. Organize your tasks. You’ve got daily, weekly and even monthly commitments that can quickly pile up, leaving you feeling trapped beneath them all. Think beyond the task and ask yourself how you feel. Creating a to-do list can draw attention to the intangible parts of your routine that may be adding unnecessary stress which can be eliminated.
5. Organize your time. In a world where everything was due yesterday, it’s easy to fall victim to the false sense of urgency. We definitely understand that there are hard deadlines that need to be met but we also understand that some things can indeed wait until tomorrow without the world spontaneously combusting, contrary to our personal beliefs. Map out your tasks and arrange them in order of importance and [actual] deadline. Organizing your time will allow you to be more efficient. You will accomplish your tasks completely and happily as opposed to spreading yourself too thin and stressing out.
6. Organize your gratitude. Wait, what? That’s right, documenting the pleasant subtleties of life can go a long way. Reflecting on what makes you happy, what you’re grateful for, your personal mantras and valuable life lessons will guide you through taxing times and remind you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
7. Organize your ambitions. Why is it that only when we are swamped up to our eyeballs do we feel like it’s a good time to start planning our next trip, but when we have spare time we spend it with Netflix? Schedule 10 minutes a day to discover yourself and what you want to do. Jot these ideas down so they can be revisited whenever possible.
8. Organize your professional goals and achievements. Keeping a journal can increase productivity, as it encourages us to articulate our next steps and keeps us accountable in achieving them. Keeping a professional journal requires us to think objectively and exercises our problem solving abilities. With it, we can remain motivated as we track goals and progress. It is also a great tool to document key learnings that can later be reflected on to make better business decisions.
9. Organize your family history. A journal is a great place to document your family history. Your most treasured memories, valued traditions and memorable events can be forever preserved online or published into a hardbound book for the entire family to enjoy.
10. Organize your life story. With JRNL’s All About Me feature, writing your life story has never been easier. Specially crafted writing prompts encourage you to relive and document your past, capture unforgettable experiences and share your story in your own words.

However you hope to get organized, journaling is a great practice that will help keep you accountable. What do you want to organize that you think journaling can help with?