How taking notes and keeping journal will genuinely improve your life.

"A short pen is better than long memory" my pastor would say to me and other Christian brethren during the bible study classes, as at then I would just jot down bible chapters and verses. Whenever I'm luxuriating in my solitude, I would go through these bible verses and meditate deeply on them. Well, all these things are in the past now, but there's a habit I haven't been able to drop (it's not like I want to drop it anyway), it's the act of taking notes. The ability to absorb and act upon new information often makes the difference between success and big success. One of the best ways to do this is to become a prodigious note taker.

When you write it down, you not only have it available as a reference, you also are more likely to remember it in the first place. So you’re able to absorb and act upon the information better than someone who doesn’t take notes.

So when you’re going to meet with someone in person or on the phone, take notes!

It’s amazing how many people don’t take advantage of this simple technique that makes such a big difference!

Set up yourself apart – take notes!

It’s a waste of time to invest time in a meeting and then forget most of what you’ve learned. So take notes so you remember what you learned and you have a ready reference in case you forget.

I trust you would start taking notes from today, but how about Journaling? The importance of keeping a journal cannot be overemphasized, great leaders and teachers kept diaries, I do too (evernote is bae). Trust me it's fun, and one of the interesting thing about it is that there's no wrong way to do it. Here are few awesome benefits of keeping a diary.

Journaling helps you clarify your thoughts so thinking through the WHYs and the HOWs would be easier. 

Some cognitive psychologists argue that writing is thinking. Others believe only that it can transform your cognitive processing. One point both sides seem to agree on, though, is the fact that writing forces you to examine your thoughts more critically and logically. In turn, journaling is an opportunity to work through and gain clarity on the ideas and notions that might otherwise exist as rolling tumbleweeds in your head.

When we sit down behind a blank computer screen, blank Note app in your phone (I prefer to use Evernote) or sheet of paper and begin to write out what we accomplished during the day, we are forced to think through our process on a deeper level. The discipline forces us to answer the difficult questions of “why,” “how,” or “why not?” The answers to these questions are not just helpful as we move forward to repeat successes and avoid mistakes, they can be therapeutic as well.

Journaling helps you stay focused and organized 

Journals often get boxed in as places for cheesy people to record their deepest, darkest confessions or reveal the most vulnerable parts of their inner selves. In reality though, they can simply be receptacles for to do lists, future goals, spur-of-the-moment ideas, random insights that you want to remember later, and more. By writing down this kind of information, you’ll be able to better order your life and hold yourself accountable even when you’re at your busiest.

The importance of committing our desires to paper cannot be overstated. It is a simple process, but it pays great dividends. Writing out our goals provides the opportunity to articulate them clearly and makes their achievement appear closer.

Journaling activates your attitude of gratitude

Success can be quickly forgotten. And when it is, it becomes easy to get frustrated with our pursuit. As with any pursuit, there are times we may feel like we have not accomplished anything despite all the invested effort and energy. During those moments, it is helpful to look back and be reminded of our past successes. Paging through your accomplishments and moments of greatness can easily boost your self-esteem and paint a picture of your own awesomeness especially if you're feeling low.

Journals act as profound pools of personal reflection 

Whether you are chasing a physical goal (getting fit), a career goal (starting your own business), or a personal goal (becoming a better father), not every step in our pursuit is going to be easy. Goals worth pursuing never are. At some point, you will be required to overcome adversity. But you will. And the next time you face it, you’ll find motivation and strength in your written record of overcoming it in the past. Journals can also act as profound pools of personal reflection. Taking time to shut out the loudness of the outside world and reconnect with your thoughts can lead to incredible self-discovery. The process of pouring out your unadulterated ideas onto a blank page may very well reveal some diamonds in the rough that would otherwise have been swept out the door with the ordinary dust of the filtered mind. Finally, by continually journaling, you give yourself the privilege of tracking your own evolution and the power to acknowledge how you’ve changed and grown. Furthermore, keeping a journal naturally reminds us to articulate next steps. It is difficult to look back without also looking forward. As a result, when we journal, we naturally begin to look forward. And the next step becomes easier to see.

So if you're still thinking about Journaling, stop thinking about it, act now. It has helped me so much, I trust it will help you too. See you at the top.

Cheers.