Before we get into the journaling...

Do you know why the work of building a business is so hard?

It's because we're building something from scratch.

We're creating something that, at one time, existed nowhere but in our hearts and minds.

This may sound blasphemous—it did to my heart when the thought first arose—but creating and running a business is almost like being the god of our own universes.

Just as, in the beginning, God said, "Let there be light," we, as creators of our own universes (and imitators of the original Originator) said, "Let there be [enter your business name here]."

"Let there be The Write Idea!"

It's not really blasphemous, though.

Look at my favorite piece of art from Kelly Rae Roberts.

"Dear you," it says.

"Your imaging it is my creating it.
Love, The Universe."

I also believe that God, or the Universe, give us the desires of our hearts.

But it's not like, "Oooh, I want that car!" and God gives us that car.

It's in the sense that the desires of our heart are PUT THERE by God.

Psalm 37:4 says it best:

Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

If creating your business is the desire of your heart, and if your imaging your business is God creating it, then ... well ... you're on the right track!  

Journaling: The Heart of Your Business Lies Within You

The reason I opened this post on "Journaling for Business Growth" by talking about God, and about the things that arise within our hearts and minds, seemingly from nowhere, is because journaling is a way for us to ACCESS and TAP INTO that which lies within.

As I write this post, I'm flipping through my current journal, which happens to be a special blue edition of the Monolith from Code & Quill.

My beloved journal is a bit dinged up because I travel with and use it a lot. But the creamy, smooth paper on the inside is still perfect

Here are just a few of the many business insights I've gleaned through the act of putting pen to paper and journaling in this particular notebook:

• My ideal day happens when I allow for two hours' worth of business development time.
• To be the CEO of my company, I must prioritize my health. 
• Writing blog posts is one of the business-building tasks I most enjoy.
• My ideal client craves excellence and doesn't power-trip me (two of a list of 19 qualities).
• Money flows when I remember that I am a funnel for abundance.
• Trust my intuition when it comes to projects and clients. If it feels wrong, it is wrong. It's okay to say no.

Sometimes, my journal is a place to vent.

Dear Diary, ....  

Sometimes I practice guided journaling using one or more of the many journaling books on my shelves.

Sometimes I practice visual journaling or art journaling; I use composition notebooks for this purpose.

Sometimes I use my journal to capture a to-do list. 

Sometimes I use colored markers, colored pencils, and stickers.

Sometimes I even use the computer to journal.

But ALL THE TIME, I love journaling!

And guess what?

As it would follow, I also love journals and pens and highlighters and stationery and office-supply-store stuff!

Sometimes, when I talk about journaling with marketers and other professionals, I get the side-eye or the squint with a nose wrinkle.

That's because journaling traditionally accompanies therapy and self-care circles. But I find that journaling helps both in life and business. 

Examples of using journaling for business growth

For instance, for business, you can use journaling to:

• Tackle limiting beliefs (I'll never pass that threshold...)
• Imprint beliefs you want (I *am* an excellent podcast interviewee)
• Address your inner critic (Aww, it's okay to be scared, little one)
• Access your inner guide (What should I do?)
• Work on your relationship to money (Money is energy)
• Dream a big dream and then watch it unfold (I will create a card deck)
• Uncover the actions you need to take to achieve rapid success (focus on packages)
• Figure out how to position yourself (Collaborative copywriter? Content marketing writer? Content editor? Thought-leadership ghostwriter?)
• Develop your messaging (the people I work with have big visions for creating transformational change—if only they could create that content)
• Discover and stick to your boundaries (for new clients, I require at least 50 percent down)
• Improve your writing (practice makes perfect)
• Create fodder for your blog (lots of content ideas are born in my journal)

Your blog can also be a place to journal if you're comfortable sharing at those levels; it certainly has worked that way for me!

Want to get started journaling for business growth?

Here's a simple 5-day journaling plan I created specifically for content marketers. Complete one session each day, and see how things unfold for you.  

Let me know how you like it!

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