The Review/Summary - a Journaling Tool

Stepping back helps us see a bigger, more inclusive picture. Small events make more sense in the bigger scheme of things.

“Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success.” – Richard Carlson

The Review:

Regularly, take time to reflect on what has been happening in your life. Daily, weekly or after special events, write about what is surfacing for you: activities, insights, meaning, motives, feelings, etc.

Foster the discipline to pull back to view your life more objectively. Step back to work ON your life instead of IN it. Become the C.E.O. of your own personal company, or see yourself as the captain of your own ship. This allows you to reconnect with the bigger picture of who you are and what you are doing in your life journey. It’s a great way to integrate what is important.

I like to do reviews daily, weekly, and monthly. I like to write a half page but if I'm short of time, I write in point form or even just a few words. If you have limited time for journaling, you may want to at least capture your best and worst experience for the period being considered.

The Summary:

Complete each journaling exercise or session by reviewing and summarizing what you have just written. In your summaries, write whatever comes to mind. It may be an insight, concern, action step, desire, etc. This process can be very healing, integrative and freeing.

By writing regular reviews you will gradually see more balance in your life, more harmonizing of the ups and downs and more integration of chaos.

EXERCISES

Getting started:

• Go back and quickly scan your journal notes from the exercises you’ve done from this book and write a short summary of your impressions so far.
• Reflect on what has happened in the last 24 hours and write a few lines about your peak experience and then about your worst experience.

Go deeper:

• Identify your worst experience in the last month. Identify and write about your feelings, your beliefs and the underlying fear(s).

Reach higher:

• At least monthly write a short review on what you are learning, on your own spiritual growth, on how your character is changing or on your top insight of the month and what that means for you.
  

Go back and check out our other 50 Journaling Tools.