Keeping a journal and the active practice of journaling has been a critical piece of my own growth and mindfulness.

I increase my own ability to reflect and be aware of what was and what is and what is to come. By looking back or looking ahead, I grow in awareness. I also grow in focus by looking specifically at a certain moment or experience.

In The Mind of the Leader, they identify mindfulness as a combination of heightened awareness and heightened focus.

Journaling helps me operate in the Mindful category more effectively.

I have 3 distinct journals and ways I use them to keep a journal and journal practice:

1. Pocket notebook: Small Moleskine notebook I keep in my back pocket with me at all times. Pen in my pocket to write down little ideas I have them or things that stick out in a podcast, book, random conversation. When I stop to write in my formal diary each day, I reflect on notes I wrote in it that day and day before.
2. Note taking notebook: Large sized Moleskine notebook I bring with me if I’m intently reading something, going to a meeting, or need a place to track more thorough note like ideas or topics. I will typically take a photo of this and load it into my Microsoft OneNote in some sort of order for log. I also keep this next to me and check it as I do my formal diary each day.
3. Formal diary: Large sized Moleskine Notebook (black in picture). Eventually will migrate to a hard covered notebook. This is where I write each day at the end of my work day and reflect on what stood out. Throughout the day I’ll pull it out and jot down more reflective thoughts. I make a point to fill at least 1 page in it each workday. I try to do this on the weekends also but find it’s important for me to be lax on weekends. This is where the depth of my mindfulness increases in keeping a journal. I expand upon thoughts I might not share but want to dive into. I take those ideas and sometimes will formulate a blog post on it or use it in coaching or training. I also paste pieces of magazines or things I print out into it. Right now I’ve been taking pictures of a specific scene and joining them together into a collage as a ‘joiner‘.

This practice will evolve and change over time but I intend to continue a habit that increases my own awareness and focus.