Why I love the Five Minute Journal

Do you ever need help pairing down your to-do list? Or feel bogged down with the day-to-day and yet still feel like you aren’t progressing toward your big goals? One of our missions with this blog is to share tips and tactics that have worked for us. So, here’s a recommendation that’s fully optimized my life: THE FIVE MINUTE JOURNAL. For the past three years, I’ve been religious about filling it out, and it’s biggest benefit is that it helps me zero in on my main priorities every day. 

What sets it apart from a standard to-do list is that it not only puts focus on the things that are going to move the needle and eliminates distraction, it also forces you to acknowledge what actually matters. Aka, the bigger picture things like family, health, self-care, and the reasons why you slog through the daily, mundane tasks.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good to-do list and big goals require micro-systems, but they can also feel endless and counterproductive to getting things done. Cutting through the menial stuff, simplifying and reminding myself WHY I’m putting in all the work makes me feel less anxious overall and, dare I say, happier?

Here’s how it works:

•🌅 In the morning: List out three things you’re grateful for. These can be simple, like morning coffee or fresh air, or if you’re feeling emo, bigger things like your health and your family. Next, you list the three priorities that would make the day great. I usually include two work-related items and one personal, like doing a workout or quality time with my kids. Lastly, you do a daily affirmation, something like “I am enough” or “I am strong and can handle this” or “I am happy.”

•🌅 In the evening: List out three amazing things that happened that day. Oftentimes these correlate with the priorities, but sometimes they don’t, which is why this practice is so great. If you’ve had a crappy day, this forces you to look at everything that happened and land on at least three, sometimes tiny, things that made the day a good one. And then finally, you write one thing that could have made the day better. I usually see a trend with this bottom item, like I need to be more patient or make sure I get time outside.

To be honest, I’m so busy that I end up doing the entire practice in the morning so that I optimize family time in the evening. So do what works for you and see if it makes a difference [h/t to @emilychristinemara for introducing the journal to me!].

Do posts like this bring value to you? If so, leave a 📋 and we’ll do more. Xo, Melissa