This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about my daily writing habit.
I spend the first 30 minutes of my day (every day) writing about professional development and/or marketing, brainstorming ideas, or digging into frameworks that have been forming in my mind.
Some of the daily writing gets published on my blog or in a newsletter.
Others days the writing contributes to something I publish in the future.
And sometimes the writing is just for me.
What I’ve realized after nearly 4 years is the value daily writing has brought to my work.
Thoughts clarified. Ideas articulated. Approaches reframed.
Looking back, I wish I had started this habit at the beginning of my career.
My contributions might have been even stronger.
Creating a Professional Journal
There is no “right” format for a professional journal.
Mine is a word document for each month with one page of writing for each day. I save them all in a folder and have an excel document that has them logged to sort by date, topic, and date published (if published).
Your solution could be an electronic file or a physical notebook.
I’ve read that some block off sections of a physical notebook for different topic areas.
When the day comes, you can freely write about what is currently going on at work or be prompted by a list of ideas that you keep for inspiration. The topics can range from your projects to your professional relationships, or anything else that might be on your mind as you start the day.
The key is to find a format that works for you and stick to it.
Commit to 3 months.
After that, pause to evaluate how it’s going and adjust.
Soon, you will start to see the positive impacts the habit can have on your professional life.
Your Turn
Have you ever kept a professional journal?
When you consider it, do you find the idea exciting, interesting, or not for you?
What benefits do you think would emerge if you took on the practice?