When I was studying photography. In the early days of taking photos even with a single lens reflex(SLR) camera that allowed me to see almost exactly how the photo was going to be framed, my photos would never turn out like I imagined them. Have you ever had this problem?
I imagined a great outcome but there was a gap between what I imagined and what I was seeing. Usually it was the difference between my imagination and the limitations of the lens I was using.
As I became more experienced I learned that if the image I wanted to take was not represented in the view finder, along with the camera settings needed to achieve my goal, then it’s not going to end up on the print.
I have found that this translates to other areas of life also.
In business If you don’t have a clear plan to reach your budget with all the parts needed to achieve your goal clearly articulated, the will and the resources needed to achieve it, then your budget equates to little more than wishful thinking and achieving your budget is left to luck.
This principle is true in all areas of life. If you want to be successful in business or life you need to be committed truth, and specifically the truth of where you find yourself right now. Your context.
This is easier said than done. If you have any experience in sales or marketing you will know that our disposition as humans is that our emotions are more likely to cause us take action rather than rational thought or reason.
So unless we are actively seeking to be aware of what’s going on for ourselves in our emotional world, then we run the risk of making bad decisions.
While the idea of journaling is not a new idea it is one very effective way to stay aware of your context and emotions.
If you’ve tried journaling before I’d love to hear about any experience you have of had. Was journaling helpful, how much time did you put aside, do you have any tips on getting the most out of journaling? Why don’t you leave a comment below.
If you haven’t journaled before why not try taking time each day this week to reflect on and write down your thoughts. Even 5 minutes a day can make a difference.
Personally I use Evernote to keep my journal, I find it helpful to have it on my phone and use little gaps in my schedule when I’m out of the office or traveling to journal.
I also use Evernote to write blog posts. This post was written on the plane to Sydney. More about tools for websites and blogging in my next post.