No BS Daily Journaling

One thing we addicts and alcoholics are is excellent bullshitters. Not that we have the corner on it, but if others have a BS degree, many of us have a Masters. Wait. I’m selling myself short. Call me Dr. Doug “BS” Fleener.

Well, that is, if I don’t do the things that keep me honest, humble, and focused on being a good person. First and foremost, for me, it’s going to meetings. Second, is staying close to other like-minded people. The third is daily journaling.

I find daily journaling the best defense of BS. It also significantly impacts my daily productivity, mindset, actions, and reactions.

I use the app Day One. It’s built for a Mac but has a web app for Windows users.

I start each day with quick journal entries:

* How I am feeling at that moment. I’m usually writing about my gratitude for being in recovery, the work I get to do, and my family and friends.

* About the type of person I want to be for the day.

* My work and personal plans for the day. I’m currently writing a book, so I include my book-writing goal for the day and blog posts. Client meetings, marketing time, etc.

* Any thoughts/key takeaways I have from my morning reading. (Two recovery meditation books.)

While this looks like a lot, it usually takes under 15 minutes.

I then end the day with a quick recap of the day, how I did on my work as a recovery and leadership coach, and my goal of being the person I could be. (No BS!)

Not only is the twice-a-day No BS journaling beneficial in guiding me and my day, but it’s also a lot of fun to go back and read what happened on certain days.

Highly recommend you try it for 30 days. Shoot me a question if you'd like more details.