In this 8-part series I’m describing a self-awareness journaling method I teach called the Focused Journal Method.
Over the course of the last four weeks I presented the first four steps: identifying issues that you intend to work on, examining the real significance of the issues on your issues’ list, identifying core questions, and teasing out intentions, and what to do when doubt casts a shadow.
This week we look at step 6: identifying the personality strengths you bring to the table.
We have gotten into the habit over the last hundred years, coinciding with the birth of psychotherapy, to be very aware of our flaws and weaknesses. Our self-talk regularly puts us down and we are very good at internally announcing how we aren’t equal to life’s challenges. This modern way of being goes a long way toward preventing us from recognizing all the undeniable strengths we possess—strengths that allow us to move more-or-less gracefully through our very complicated lives.
If we don’t actively identify and announce those strengths we are likely to forget we possess them. As part of your focused journaling process, after you identify an intention—say, to lose twenty pounds—you also identify the strengths you possess that you can employ to realize your intention. These might include your sense of humor (which you may need as you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror exercising), your skepticism (which may serve you in good stead as another fad diet hits the airwaves), your resilience (which you’ll need on bad weigh-in days), and so on.
It is amazing and sad how good a job we do of forgetting that we have personality strengths. Keep your strengths clearly in mind as you endeavor to meet the challenges in your life. Formally reminding yourself of your strengths is an integral step of the focused journal method—and a really good idea!
If you’d like to hear more about my Focused Journal Method, join me for an hour-long teleseminar on February 23 or February 24.
Eric Maisel, Ph.D., is the author of 30 books, among them "Coaching the Artist Within" and "The Van Gogh Blues," and is widely regarded as America’s foremost creativity coach. His most recent book is Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions. He is a featured contributor to the HuffingtonPost, ArtBistro, and Art Calendar magazine. Visit Dr. Maisel at EricMaisel.com.
From: Dawn Herring | 2/16/11 at 6:28 pm
Eric,
I agree with you wholeheartedly that we need to focus much more on our strengths. One of the best places to expound on them concerning meeting our goals is in our journal.
I have chosen your post, Journaling 101, Part 6 of 8: Identify Your Strengths, as the #JournalChat Pick of the Day for all things journaling on Twitter on 2/16/11. I will post a link on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my blog, Refresh with Dawn Herring.
You're welcome to follow my @JournalChat account on Twitter for all things journaling.
Thanks again for the strengths focus on keeping goals with our journals.
Be refreshed,
Dawn Herring
JournalWriter Freelance
@JournalChat on Twitter for all things journaling
From: Journaling 101, Part 7 of 8: Align Thoughts with Intentions - Whole Living Daily : Whole Living | 3/1/11 at 5:09 pm
[...] Over the course of the last few weeks I presented the first four steps: identifying issues that you intend to work on, examining the real significance of the issues on your issues’ list, identifying core questions, teasing out intentions, what to do when doubt casts a shadow, and using your journal to identify your strengths. [...]