LIFE Journal
I realize BALANCE is the key to living a rich, fruitful and fulfilling life but, for someone like me, it is crucial.
It might seem extreme or over the top, but breaking down and cataloguing the essential items in my life is what I needed. I felt crippled by the daunting list of things I had to do and fix, and it often sent me skulking away from the world and all of its demands. Over the years, after trying a multitude of different techniques, strategies and programs to make changes, this was the one single thing that worked for me!
It started off merely as a tool to keep track of my weight loss. But, my personalized, constantly morphing “living” Food Journal has helped me to tackle all of the areas of my life (i.e., Weight Loss, Depression, Relationships, Spirituality etc.) in a progressive and manageable way.
At first, I did not have the foresight to grasp the magnitude of how my weekly reflections would impact my life. By observing my behaviours, recognizing areas that were lacking or in need of attention, and setting new goals to build upon, My Food Journal has become the tool I use not only to find balance, but to maintain it.
It’s simple. The items inside the small box are the must-haves, my basics. The items in the outer box build upon these basics, providing specific ways to support and strengthen them. By focussing on these goals week by week, I know that I have taken care of my physical, social, emotional, and mental well-being.
Amalgamating all of its components has been a gradual process and a formidable journey (and continues to be:). I am finally reaping the benefits of my persistence and hard work. Without knowing it, by framing each goal as a promise and commitment to myself, I grounded myself. Hope went from being an abstract idea to a tangible, measurable thing, a means to my ultimate goal: Happiness. Achieving it has been a tremendous accomplishment, because I truly never knew for sure if it was even a real possibility for me!
In the lowest of times now (different from the dark, dangerous lows I once took for normal), when I am depleted of energy, and focus is lost and routines abandoned, I use this weekly record to lead me back to light. More than just a tool, its comprehensive system, designed with intention, offers comfort and stability. Its lists are checkpoints, confirmation that I am on the right track. What an unexpected gift it has turned out to be; it is literally a lifeline. No longer is it merely a food journal. It is my LIFE Journal.
SUGGESTED READ: more “Ways to Release”
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How I Use A “Life Journal” (Click for larger view)