Why I keep a journal

Every year I go through my fly fishing vest to reorganize, restock and clean out. The last thing I feel like doing at the end of a day on the water is dealing with the mess I’ve been creating, so you can imagine what it's like by the end of the season.

I’m starting fresh this year with a brand new vest and my plan is to break the cycle.   I’ll let you know how that goes.

The things I find in this process don’t usually surprise me.  Torn up flies, bits of line, snack wrappers and the usual rogue hook that stabs my finger and makes me say a bad word or two, are all the norm.  Imagine my surprise when in a pocket I forgot was even there, I found a journal from the late 90’s.

One of my favorite things about fly fishing is that mid-afternoon break where to rest and take in the scenery, you sit on a log with your wader-clad legs floating in the river.  That break usually includes a pen and paper with which I can capture everything inside and outside that seems noteworthy.

Reading my long lost journal was like opening a time capsule.  I was instantly transported back to 1996 and the details of not only that particular day but my life and the lives of my loved ones as well.  Apparently, the weather was perfect but the trout were winning.  I was working on healing my heart and members of my family were transitioning in their relationships.   I was at once reminded of how far I’ve come and how much has changed in the last twenty years.  

While keeping a journal may seem like a chore, daily journaling actually has benefits way beyond remembering what trout fly you used to land a big one. Harvard researcher, Shawn Achor, lists daily journaling as one of the practices proven to increase happiness.  For me, writing about what I’m grateful for, what I’m feeling and where I am as it relates to my goals is enormously helpful.  Not only can I look over journals and track progress, I’m also able to see where I’ve gotten stuck.  Science shows that regular journaling can improve your immune system, reduce blood pressure and even Improve lung and liver function.  Who knew?

Here are a few tips to get started.

- Choose a journal and writing instrument that you love.   My favorite journal is this one from Field Notes.  I actually went so far as to have a custom made, leather cover for it, which fits in my pocket and I’m rarely without.   Because I enjoy writing with a really fine point, this pen from Pilot.

- Start small.  Waking up and taking just ten minutes to write is a great way to start your day.  

- Write whatever you feel like.  Maybe you want to list things you're grateful for, something great that happened the day before or a hope for the day to come.  Whatever it is, don’t judge it and let it flow.  

- Be consistent.  Set a goal of writing every day for two weeks and get a sense of how it impacts your life.

I hope you find journaling as enjoyable as I do and that the practice of getting it out on paper turns out to be a great addition to your day.   A picture may be worth a thousand words but a handful of words can create a million pictures.  

Why should you even bother?

Know that idea you have for that thing you want to do?

Some of your nearest and dearest have been telling you to get to it for years.

There are other well intending people who have been less encouraging.

Then there’s that voice inside your head that says

“There’s nothing new about your idea and other people have already done it way better than you will”

Yeah… that voice.

To that voice and to the well intending people who have been less encouraging I have this to say;

Cheeseburgers!!!

I’m sorry vegans.  Please don’t feel upset or alienated.  Just making a point.

For those of you who have never had a cheeseburger, here is what Wikipedia has to say:

A hamburger (or cheeseburger when served with a slice of cheese) is a sandwich consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. Hamburgers may be cooked in a variety of ways, including pan-frying, barbecuing, and flame-broiling. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, onion, pickles, and condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, and chiles.[1]It's reported that Americans consume nearly 50 billion burgers per year.

Billions…  Not a type-o.

There are Wendy’s people and there are Burger King people…

White Castle and Crystal…

Your mom’s burger and the one that The Barefoot Contessa makes where she sneaks a big knob of butter in the middle. (makes a ball, sticks her thumb in, makes a hole, inserts butter, closes hole, grills without pressing down, calls an ambulance for her delighted guests)

You’re welcome…

A cheeseburger is a thing. You know one when you see one and if you’re a carnivore you most likely have a strong opinion about where to get the best.

The burger was invented in 1900 at Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut.  (yes… this fact is debated but let’s go with it for now)

Clearly it was a hit and most likely you’ve never had a Louis Lunch Burger (I have and it was amazing)

Most likely you've never had a Louis' Lunch burger but you have had a burger.

If you are reading this in the USA, you've most likely had countless burgers from a wide range of places.

You’ve known that joy because people didn’t look at Louis' Lunch and say there’s no point in me making burgers because they already did it.

Someone walked in a said this is good but what if we did this to it.

I’m so glad they did!

The world is ready for your burger and by burger I mean your book, business, poem, service, song, painting, workshop and idea.

The part of you that says “Why bother” must realize that yes we have eaten burgers, but we haven’t eaten YOUR burger.

What do Michael Jordan and Mother Theresa have in common?   They both used coaching as a way to be the best at what they were compelled to accomplish.

Email ThatLifeNow@gmail.com or call 978-994-0431 to get started in life coaching with Jim Trick.

Thick skin = the key to creative greatness

Nearly a decade ago I brought some lyrics I had written to a friend.

She’s a wonderful songwriter whose work has always resonated with me.

It’s nice to have friends that you can also be fans of.

When I approached her I told her that I wanted her opinion.

What I was really looking for was for her to say  “amazing job Jim”.

What I got was something very different and yet a thousand times more valuable.

“Can I be honest with you?” she asked.

“Of course you can” I replied as my heart sank.

I was really thinking “please don't”.

She went on to tell me she loved my lyrics but that I didn’t write melodies that ever made her want to listen.

Ouch!

You have felt ouches like that before.

How did you respond?

For most of us that's when we become cry babies, throw tantrums and start to spin.

Some of us get so shut down from the slightest criticism that we become paralyzed.

She didn’t stop there.

“You need to slow down, think about how your melody supports the theme and consider how heavily your musical influences are influencing you.”

Easy to hear?

Nope, not even a little bit.

Was she correct, kind and courageous in service of my work?

Completely and utterly.

Did her suggestions work?

100%

Your greatness will expand in direct proportion to the thickness of your skin.

You can be precious, protective and insecure…

You can be in search of perpetual pats on the back.

You can be insecure in a way that will forever keep you from getting good.

Not being able to get to good means having no shot at becoming great.

If you see yourself in any of this, here are a few items to consider.

1.  Ask for what you really want.  If you are looking for critique ask for critique but if what you really want is encouragement then ask for encouragement.

1.  Put yourself in the shoes of the person you are asking.  How many people can you imagine are asking them for advice in a typical week?  Can they do it better than you?  What is their schedule like? If they are a professional,  are you willing to pay for their time? Before you get upset about not getting a response or not getting the response you want, see your request through their eyes.

1.  When it comes to your creative pursuits most of your friends and family will not usually be honest with you in the way you need them to be.

1.   When it comes to your creative pursuits most of your friends and family will assure you that they are being honest.

1. Remember, you are the artist.  In the end it is your name on the project.  Know when to stand your ground.  Part of having a thick skin is about humility but the other side of that coin is confidence.

If this post was helpful like it, share it, subscribe and live it.  Follow Jim Trick on twitter @JimTrick  Are you ready to try life coaching on for size?  Email ThatLifeNow@gmail.com today!