So, welcome back to Office Hours, and today, in this part two, we broke it up into two
parts.
In this part two, we are focusing on the value of having a journal template or a journaling
system.
So, you know, one way to do the journal is it's just a place where you write your thoughts
and, you know, anything you want, your prayers, your questions, what you read, what you learn.
It just becomes a place of documenting.
I have, over the years, developed a system so that my journal, it goes with me when I
travel, and my journal becomes really almost business in a box or personal development
in a box.
I can use my journal for everything.
So first off, I will say that I believe journals are keepsakes, and so I don't want cheaper,
trashy ones.
I get the full-size ones that I can, you know, that are lined, that I can open flat, you
know, that are hardbound, which I label so they're on a bookshelf.
I get the same ones so they go nice in a bookshelf, same size, okay?
So that's the first thing I'll say is I would choose high-quality paper, high-quality pens,
a high-quality journal, and one if you want to keep it, because in my opinion, you go
back and write a book, it's a record of your life.
Each year, I usually fill up two of these, and so about a half a year each for me.
So some powerful things you can do with a journal is to go back, and so you could do
this weekly, just glancing back, and you could do it monthly, and especially I do it yearly.
And so yearly, because my journals contain so many prayers, answers to prayers, answers
to questions, one of the first things I do is I put the year in review, which you can
see it's like dates and just little quotes of like really ahas or things that God showed me,
right? So this is 2023 in review, so between Christmas and New Year of 24, I went through
all my journals with a highlighter, and then I summarized, it took a few pages to summarize
the year, but it's a really powerful summary to go back and go, what did God say, and what did
I learn, and what was I going through? And for me, I don't know about you, but my brain, frontal
right brain, like it's gone, like I barely remember yesterday, let alone a whole year.
And so to go back and go, wow, and to see how many times like God repeats certain things,
is pretty amazing. And so like this one, last year on January 1st, God said,
I am your season, you need never fear anyone or anything, your life is hidden in mine.
So I'll remember things that God said, right? Or January 6th of 23, trust me in every situation,
whisper, I trust you, and then wait and watch, I will surprise you with pure,
can't read my own writing now, oh, pure bliss, okay? 111, 23, my child, everything you do in love
is part of the healing, keep your eyes on love, make your intention to be love. So these are very
valuable, very personal to me, okay? Now let me share the screen here, and I will show you a
template that I use. So we'll share the screen, and we will go over here to the journal template.
Okay, are you all seeing this? This is very old, it was created in 2012, but hasn't really changed,
but needs to be updated with my new branding and my new colors, okay? So here is how I use the
journal. The inside cover, okay? I make into a vision board, so the inside cover, you could put
one image, or multiple images, or quotes, or verses, so that every time you open your journal,
you see.
and sometimes you will carry that from year to year.
So I had many years, I think I shared on a different call.
I had a woman with long brown hair
that was probably a size four or six in a red bikini
that was laying in the water,
like in a tropical beach with the water
like blowing her hair back and she was laying there.
And that was my image that went inside my journal.
And of course, nothing has meaning till you give it meaning.
That's one of the basic rules of life, right?
And so the meaning that I gave to that image,
cause it was just an image of a model laying in water.
But the meaning that I gave was, first of all, her body,
I wanted her body.
She represented fitness and health for me.
And what's really remarkable is I kept that image
for a lot of years.
I would take it out, it was lightly taped in,
and I would take it out and put it in the next year's
and the next year's.
And I really carried that image for a long time.
And what's really interesting is that a decade later,
my body is exactly that body.
If I put on a red bikini,
it was not when I started with that picture.
I was about a size 14, 16.
And so it's amazing.
Scripture says, by beholding, we are transformed.
And I really believe that the more we look at something,
the more it influences us and we become it.
So I would look at that and she was fit,
but also if she was laying like that,
I knew the water was warm.
So she was probably on a tropical island.
And I knew that if she was on a tropical island,
if that was me, that I was probably there with loved ones,
having a really wonderful time traveling.
So it represented travel.
It represented love and relationships.
And I knew that when I travel,
I usually leave a place better than I found it.
So I was probably doing some kind of seminar there
or workshop or something while I'm there,
vacationing, building relationships.
So one image works for me,
but you also could have a multiple of images.
So the inside cover becomes a vision board, okay?
And then I would always have a dedication page
that this journal is dedicated to.
Then the next four pages.
Now this was before I added the summary.
So I now have the summary that I add every year
that I just showed you.
That's not on here.
That's a newer over the last couple of years.
Pages one to four, I have opposite pages, okay?
So in other words, on one side, the left side,
you would put your desire
written in the positive present tense.
So that could be personal, health,
relationships, spiritual.
On the page directly across that desire,
and you might be able to fit a couple,
you might only get one.
It just depends how you write it out.
On the opposite side,
you would put your declarations slash actions, right?
So if on the left it is,
I am a New York Times bestselling author.
This is the desire of my heart to write a bestselling book
that brings transformation.
That would be on the desire side.
On the right side, it would be,
I will write 500 words a day.
I will work with a book coach.
I will start a publishing agreement.
Like you would list out the what you will do
to bring that desire to fruition.
So it's a very powerful mixture of dreaming and action,
which is the combination of success.
And then on the next pages,
you're writing your affirmations.
Like I keep a couple pages for I am, right?
I am courageous.
I am love.
I am bold.
I am generous.
I am abundant.
And keep a place to always be adding new ones.
And so this really also can be for your identity, right?
I am committed to a life of love
and transformation and so on.
Then the next page are your goals.
And then the next page are lessons,
maybe beliefs that no longer serve you.
And then the next page can be used
for visualization or ideal.
I like doing an ideal day.
I like doing an ideal week.
I like doing an ideal client.
I like doing.
doing an ideal business.
It can be done for that.
And then I save a lot of pages for ongoing gratitude.
So literally, this is at the front of the journal.
Then the back is used for journaling.
But that means when you open, every day,
you're looking at your vision board.
Every day, you're looking at your desires
and your declarations.
And when you've done them, you're adding more.
Every day, you're looking at your affirmations,
so your gratitude.
So it keeps you on track.
So this goes with the Prosper Daily Plan,
where the whole top of the Prosper Daily Plan lists this.
Now, I put some other uses for your journal.
It can be used for reflective thinking.
So a question, for example, is, how can I?
Or what's possible in the area of?
What could I do?
Things that can open up possibility
is really powerful.
Prayers and answered prayers.
Some people use it for critical thinking
and brainstorming solutions.
Some people put notes.
When they read a great book, they go to a great seminar.
Others put ideas.
And they do a mind map.
Now, I personally keep a separate book for ideas.
And it is my list book.
It's a little tiny journal that I use for lists.
I use lists, not to-do lists.
I use lists as a way of brainstorming.
So for example, ways to give, bless,
circulate others to others.
So what are all the ways that I can just give, bless, serve?
And I make a list.
I'll post articles, videos, content, tithing,
writing a book, all of these things.
Or another one, ways to grow my income.
Some of you might want to be brainstorming.
What are all the ways I can grow my income?
I have one, ways to grow the membership site.
I have one, ways to make the membership site top of class
and the hugest blessings.
So I can make it best of class content.
I can add templates.
I can create interesting groups.
I can have guest speakers.
I can spotlight businesses.
I can champion a cause.
I can have scholars.
You see, it's a brainstorming, masterclass ideas,
ways to grow a relationship, books to read.
So I keep that as a separate journal, my list book.
I don't do it in my main one.
My favorite, favorite way to use the journal
that I have shared with you all, many ways, is a form of prayer.
And so the prayer is in pink.
You can see I write out my prayer.
And then you can see in purple, I
change pens, what God is saying to me, what's coming through me.
And I just ask God to use my pen, use my hand,
and speak to me.
And so it's really powerful to see.
Those are all the words of God that I've gotten.
So I just believe that it's being very intentional
with using your journal in such a way
that it becomes almost, like I said,
personal development or spiritual growth in one place.
So when you're traveling, your affirmations are with you.
Your gratitudes are with you.
Your declarations are with you.
Your prayers and answered prayers are with you.
The lessons you've learned are with you.
The books you've read are with you.
It's just like everything stays in one place.
There are not little pieces of paper everywhere
that get ultimately lost.
And I believe it makes it a keepsake, if only for yourself,
if not later to pass on.
Or maybe if you go to write a book,
you want to go back and reflect.
So that is how I have used a journal for over a decade
and a powerful practice that I'm super grateful for.
Questions, comments, ahas?
All right.
I'm going to stop that recording.