How journaling every NIGHT can help you WIN every DAY?

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I have been there. Staring at it and not sure where to start. Just feeling a bit like I got nothing even though there are a million things going in my head. Have you been there???

I bet you have.

Well, four years ago, I started to journal. I heard that every "successful" person journals and it's cathartic but I felt nauseated at first. I really did not know where to start so I scribbled. I promised myself to be intentional about doing this for a year and see what happens.

Why a year? Because this is what I believe:

Consistency creates massive outcomes

So I wrote. At least 3-4 times a week. For almost a year, I tried writing either in the morning or at night or even taking notes on my Evernote and started to feel a little happier. It was strange. It was real. It was me talking to myself. Crazy right?!?

Right after a year, I decided to do the most unlikely thing in the world that I was more scared to do than jumping off the planes (which I have done as well). I decided to go back and read what I wrote for almost a year and I was shocked to find a pattern that totally caught me by surprise.

I bawled my eyes out as I read my own feelings and all the ups and downs.

A seemingly obvious pattern appeared. I call the HEART framework. Somehow, in my scribbles, I found a simple five-part framework that I unknowingly used as a GPS to guide my thoughts and feelings.

So here it is:

1. What made me truly Happy today?
2. What did I Embrace learning today?
3. What do I need to pay more Attention to?                     
4.  What’s is the Right thing that I am struggling with?
5.  What am I Thankful for?

Happy. Embrace learning. Attention. Right thing. Thankful.

That's it.

Long story short, about 2 years into it, my son, Krish asked me what was I writing every night. I told him that I just write my thoughts and he said, he wants to do it too. Boom!!!

It's been almost 2 years now that we both do journaling together every night and spend laughing and talking about 30 mins to an hour sometimes. I tell you that it's happy times when it happens.

You know what's crazy??? It's so simple that he literally writes HEART at the top and then a sentence or two to express his feelings. So if my 9-year-old son can do it and enjoy doing it, you can too.

So when I sleep at night knowing I have done my best, happy thoughts that made me smile, things that I learned (at least one about myself or others), what can I do better at tomorrow, and what I need to be thankful for, you can imagine I can go to sleep tight and wake up next day to WIN again.

Becoming Intentional with journaling has giving me permission to reflect, forgive myself or others, love freely, and know that I am only a human.

So do you journal? Would you consider using this framework or have another one that works for you?

P.S. This is my first newsletter on LinkedIn so your feedback will be super helpful!