Tapping the Power of Your Mind

“The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest memory.” – Mark Twain

I’ve written previous articles about the incredible ability of your mind to accomplish practically anything you want. The more that scientists study the brain and its capability, the more amazing it appears. When you combine the power of your mind with a simple tool, it has the potential to exponentially increase your performance and productivity. I’ve been using this tool on and off for almost 40 years, and I’ve recently rediscovered how powerful it can be when properly used.

The tool I’m talking about is writing in your journal on a regular basis. When I was a teenager in high school, I recorded my thoughts and daily activities in pads of paper. I don’t know why, it was just a habit that I started and consistently kept up. Later on, I started using my journal to record impressions and ideas I wanted to preserve for later. When I talked to someone or read an article that would get me thinking about a good idea, I would put the articles or written ideas into notebooks. This expanded into filling dozens of three-ring notebooks that were organized by the various topics. Some of the ideas materialized into action steps that made money or improved the life of my family.

There isn’t an area in your life that will not improve with better and more frequent thinking. As you take the time to ponder your current situation, you will find ideas and solutions coming to your mind. It is important to quickly record those thoughts when you have them, and keeping a journal or notebook with you at all times will allow you to do it. Our mind is constantly thinking, and if you don’t write a thought down when you have it, then it will fade into the distance as other things grab your attention. Carrying a notebook to capture your ideas will prove over time to be a powerful practice.

So, a journal is not just for recording your daily activities. It has many other uses to better your life and make you more productive. Here are some other ways you can put your journal to full use:

Reflective thinking. If you’re working on some goals, it helps to reflect on your progress towards them and make notes about what is working and what changes you might need to make. You can reflect on the quality of your important relationships, your overall health, your career or business growth. When you put it in writing, you can later review your thoughts to find gems of wisdom that can be put into action.

Brainstorming. You can do this alone, or with several people. After discussing a topic, there will be a lot of good ideas that emerge. It is critical that you summarize those ideas and glean the best ones for further research. When you meet again, you can review your notes and share what additional ideas you had since the last meeting.

Accountability. Too many meeting are dismissed with no one tasked to accomplish things before the next meeting. If you summarize the key points and assign individuals to follow-through on important points, then the next meeting will be more productive. If you work for yourself, it is especially important to hold yourself accountable to complete important tasks. I do this by putting boxes on the left side of the page with a statement describing what needs to be accomplished. When it is completed, I check the box off. If it is not completed, I try to find valid reasons for my digression so I won’t make the same mistakes again.

Recognizing patterns. We are creatures of habit, and as you record your actions and activities, you may notice positive or negative patterns of behavior. When you identify a negative behavior pattern, you should write it down and determine ways to stop it. You should leverage you positive patterns to get the most from what you do.

Becoming more sensitive to others. This is a touchy-feely point that can improve the social and emotional quality of your life. When you write about something, buried feelings can sometimes surface. When they do, it’s important to recognize them and determine how it impacts the quality of your life right now. As you come up with ideas and solutions you can act upon, it will help improve your relationships. Something as simple as writing a note, making a call, or emailing your thoughts and feelings can demonstrate that you care.

There are many other ways you can use your journal to get more done and improve your life and circumstance. If you get stuck about what to write, here are 7 Ps that can help get your started: 1) Personal things in your life that are important to you; 2) People you deal with and your relationship with them; 3) Pleasure – the hobbies, interests, and activities that keep you motivated; 4) Projects you’re working on right now and their status; 5) Performance – record the progress you’re making toward your goals; 6) Profits – this can be ways you can either make more money or save money in your job or business; and 7) Perspective – take a step back and review what is going on with your life overall to determine if you’re happy and fulfilled.

Get started today by getting a journal or a good notebook that you can use to start recording your ideas, thoughts, and impressions. Try it for a few weeks and you’ll notice the difference it makes in your life. Do it for a few months and you’ll notice the difference it makes in your productivity and performance.