Journalizing our private, personal reflections at any age can be a profound exercise. But why stop there? Why not use this effective tool to help yourself improve any one of several other areas in your life? It's simple!

The following four life topics are a great place to start. Keeping track and jotting down notes for two to four weeks in these areas will provide you with an abundance of information that can help you track and adjust these important activities.

All you need is a simple notebook that's conveniently sized to travel with you all day. If you're a techie, using a pda or laptop works, too.

1. Time

Simple...write down the time and what you are doing. Be specific (i.e., '6.20 AM - Woke up. 6:25 - Showered. 6:35 Brushed teeth.) Yes, this is tedious, but it's also a temporary assignment. This exercise will tell you volumes about what is REALLY happening in your life, as opposed to what you THINK is happening. You will learn where all of your time leaks are occurring during your normal daily schedule. You might hear yourself gasp 'I spend HOW MUCH time on my hair everyday?' plus you will uncover exactly how much time you're spending on things like TV viewing or commuting.

After you've accumulated two to four weeks of time logs, evaluate it. You will have the solid facts you need to make intelligent decisions about how you really want to spend your time.

-- Family Tip: Sharing this idea with your teen or preteen is a great way to introduce goal-setting. Once they can see in black and white where they spend their time and how much control they actually have, they are often ready for the responsibility of time management.

2. Activity An activity log is similar to the time log (above) but not so detailed. Just jot down the major activities of the day and how much time you spend on each of them. Be accurate! Don't estimate. Write down actual times.

Now assess results from each activity - is it producing for you? If not, get it out of your schedule!

-- Career Tip: Doing this log with your workday schedule can really improve your production ability without requiring any additional time.

3. Food Think you are eating pretty much low-fat these days? Wonder how much white sugar your kids are really consuming? Stop guessing. Keep a detailed food log for two to four weeks of everything you or a family member eats and you will know EXACTLY what is in your diet. Now you can effectively track results, too.

Take the time to jot down calories, fat grams, or carbs as you go along using package labeling. Do a search for calorie counting and you will find plenty of fr'ee online calorie counting resources and calculators to make your job easier.

Once you know what you are eating, you can make informed nutritional decisions. You can see where you're doing fine and where you're lacking. Pair this log up with your Time Log and you may start to see your eating patterns, too. Maybe instead of saying no to eating a certain food you love, you'll see you could be more effective by changing an activity in your life you associate with eating. For example, if you notice you like to walk in the door after work, drop the mail on the table, turn on the TV, open a bag of chips and munch until it's time to make dinner, then you can decide to change the pattern. Maybe walk in the door, turn on your favorite music (do you need soothing or invigorating?), brew a cup of tea and relax while you read the day's mail. See the difference?

-- Menu Tip: Ten minutes to plan a menu and grocery list, plus an hour to shop once a week will provide you with a week's worth of yummy, fast meals. In addition, you'll be less likely to reach for an easy frozen pizza after a long day's work.

4. Money Okay, okay. You've come this far, don't run away now! Keeping a money journal won't hurt a bit. Remember, just writing down where you spend your hard-earned cash does not mean you have to change a thing. It simply means that you are giving yourself the information you need to decide how to use your income exactly how you want. You are in total control.

Once you know where your money is going (you really need to do this log for at least one full month), you are master of its fate. There are many good resources online as well as offline at your local bookstore or library to get you started making sound financial decisions. Get comfortable with the basics and always remember: you probably work very hard for your money; make sure it's working hard for you. Know where it goes each month!

-- Easy Budget Tip: Use 15 minutes each day to record that day's receipts into your money log. That way you'll never be drowning in a sea of receipts.

There you have it. Using the simple tool of journalizing to improve some of the most basic parts of your life. Want another tip? Once you've completed these logs, don't throw them away. Date and save them. In a year or two, complete them again. Then you'll have an accurate record of the gains you've made.

And plenty of reason to pat yourself on the back!

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Top 10 Reasons to Journal (673 words)
by: Joyce Moseley Pierce

I have been a faithful journaler since about 1980. I
started out in 1978 by writing my thoughts in a steno
notebook. As I learned how to put more expression in
my thoughts, I moved on to a spiral notebook. I've
tried journals with lined paper and lined looseleaf
paper to put in my own three-ring notebooks, but
because I am much faster at typing than writing, I
now keep my journal on the computer. In years past
I have typed the pages and printed them out,
but in 2002, I typed my thoughts and just saved them
on a CD. It takes up a lot less room and also allows
me to have a password to protect my thoughts.

It doesn't really matter how you record your thoughts.
The important thing is that you do record them. For me,
once I record my feelings and events, I can lay them
aside and move on.

Reasons for keeping a journal:

1. Record your own thoughts. Write about the things
that touch your heart. Write about your activities.
Write about your frustrations; your heartaches.
It helps you see how you've spent your time.

2. Write about what your kids and grandkids do.
My daughters have come to me and asked things about
their own children. For instance, "Do you remember
the word Chris used to say for 'french fries'?" Record
those tender moments with them that touched your heart.

3. Relieve stress. When you're angry or confused,
just let the words flow and get it all out of your
system. It will help you both physically and mentally.

4. Help in analyzing situations. If you can write
honestly, you'll find that you lose yourself in your
writing. You may find additional meaning to the things
you say or do.

5. Record facts. This is helpful if you ever need
to go back and remember something important. You may
even find it helpful if you have to prove something
to someone. The other day I was trying to remember
the name of a hotel in Dallas where we had stayed.
When all else failed, I got my journal out, looked up
the date we were there, and found it. "I'm here at
the Harvey Hotel in Dallas on LBJ Freeway and Coit."
When I shared this with my friend, she said,
"Did you happen to write the phone number?"

6. Record events. Sometimes it seems that we don't
always remember things the way they really happened.
Not only do I forget the details, but sometimes my
husband, or other family members just remember them in
different ways. We may discuss it for awhile and try to
figure out the "truth," but in the end, my journal is
the final word because it is the only record!

7. Record feelings. My husband and I recently celebrated
our 33rd wedding anniversary. After dinner I shared
my journal entry for another special anniversary a few
years ago. Some of the activities of that day that
had been forgotten were brought back to the present
and it touched both of our hearts.

8. Set an example for your children. Teach them early
to record their thoughts and activities.

9. Explore your talents. Let your feelings flow without
critiquing the way you write them. Just pour out your
heart and you'll be amazed at how your writing abilities
will increase.

10. For posterity. Leave a record for your children,
and don't sugar-coat it. Let them know how you felt
about being a parent, what was important to you, what
things have special meaning in your life.

There are many advantages and reasons for keeping a
journal. If you're not currently writing about your life,
consider starting right now. It's the beginning of a new year,
and in some cases the beginning of a new life. Write about
it now, while it's fresh, and you will find that it will
give you, and your posterity, a better insight on
who you are.

Copyright (c)2002 Joyce Moseley Pierce
mailto:piercejam@sbcglobal.net
Joyce is a freelance writer and owner of Emerson Publications.
She is the creator of "All They'll Need to Know," a workbook
to help families record personal and financial information.
ISBN 0-9725726 http://www.emersonpublications.com/pages/843554/index.htm
She is also the editor of The Family First Newsletter, an
ezine for families with young children. To subscribe:
http://www.emersonpublications.com/pages/848640/index.htm