HOW JOURNALING HELPED ME INCREASE MY CONFIDENCE
The first time I heard about journaling, I was skeptical.
So you want me to write in a diary, like I used to when I was a kid?
Excellent.
But as with any mindset work, the more I practiced journaling, the more I began to notice shifts in my mental health.
“I’m not a confident person” was a story I’d told myself for years.
I used to believe confidence was just something that some people had and others, like me, didn’t have and that was just the luck of the draw.
My mindset work journey began around September 2017 when I hired my first coach.
I was encouraged to start working on my mindset by journaling, repeating affirmations, meditating and reading personal development books.
When I tried journaling, I just felt uncomfortable and most of the time I was sat staring at a blank piece of paper, struggling to find words to write.
It wasn’t until I took part in a 21 day journaling challenge, that I finally started to get into a journaling routine.
The daily prompts we were given gave me the opportunity to focus on one thing which I found much easier than trying to work out what to write myself.
As the challenge went on, I found myself ‘too busy’ to journal so inevitably let it slide. The problem here is, as soon as you get out of the routine, you lose it all together.
A bit like going to the gym.
A few months later, I signed up to work 1:1 with a coach who encouraged me to journal daily. She introduced me to different styles of journaling and I began to watch YouTube videos to learn more about how to journal effectively.
Over time, and with practice, I now try to incorporate journaling into my daily routine because I’ve noticed just how powerful it can be.
I feel less anxious, I can overcome blocks more quickly and I feel confident in myself and my abilities.
I can’t tell you how nice it is to feel so positive each day.
How has journaling helped to increase my confidence?
Writing out my feelings on a piece of paper stops me bottling them up and allows me to look at what’s bothering me more logically. When you can look at a problem on paper, you can work out how to overcome it. And when you can overcome a problem, you feel confident in yourself and proud that you took action.
When I feel my confidence dipping or imposter syndrome showing up, I write out an empowerment list. One of my favourites is ‘30 reasons I know I can achieve anything I want to’. One of the reasons is normally ‘I am confident in my abilities’ - even if you don’t believe it at the time, the more you write it and the more you see those words staring back at you, the more it starts to sink into your subconscious.
Sometimes I’m not even aware that something’s holding me back. As the pen hits the paper and the words begin to flow, I often uncover limiting beliefs that are preventing me from moving forward. Once these limiting beliefs are out of my subconscious mind, I can look for evidence against them and then transform them into empowering beliefs. Repeating the empowering beliefs at least ten times dramatically increases my confidence.
Want some journaling exercises to get you started? Go here to download my Mindset Workbook.
I recently shared how I break through my limiting beliefs on a Facebook live. For so long I’d heard people talk about limiting beliefs and how you need to transform them into empowering beliefs but I never truly understood what this meant. If you feel the same way, you can watch the training here. It’s in two parts because the wifi on Utila can sometimes cut out with no warning. #islandlife
Practicing mindset work such as journaling is the first step to developing deep rooted self confidence.
Self confidence looks a little bit like this:
A deep knowing feeling that everything will be ok ESPECIALLY when things don’t go to plan
100% FAITH in yourself and your abilities, no matter what obstacles you’re faced with
The power to SHOW UP as you, your authentic self, knowing full well you’re making a difference
Loving yourself and TRUSTING yourself unconditionally
Believing wholeheartedly that you’re CAPABLE of anything, that people need you and what you offer and that you really can create the life of your dreams
I’m not talking high energy, high vibe, feeling good all day every day.
Deep rooted self confidence is more than that.
It’s talking to yourself kindly on the days you feel like shit.
It’s putting your needs above anyone else’s and your business.
It’s letting yourself cry when you feel like crying without wondering if it’s a sign you should give up.
It’s not feeling guilty for the days you just can’t do the things and resort to a Netflix and nap day.
It’s celebrating every time someone unsubscribes or unfollows you because you know they’re not the client for you.
It’s embracing rejection and seeing it as one step closer to the YES.
It’s picking yourself up and carrying on when your relationship ends unexpectedly.
It’s saying no to the things you don’t want to do.
It’s letting go of the people who make you feel like shit without any guilt.
It’s going live or sharing videos of yourself on the spur of the moment - no makeup, hair, script necessary.
Deep rooted self confidence is what gets you the long lasting, steady success.