In our first post, I broke down the #1 reason why people don’t accomplish their fitness goals with PERMS. Next, we discussed the hidden secret to fitness success with the crucial component of journaling. Now, I’m going to give you some real-life examples of how journaling has helped people of various goals reach their goals. I’m also going to give the recipes for success for a fitness journal, as it can seem daunting at first.
Journaling is a key component of many elite athletes success.
How Journaling Goals Breeds Success
Serena Williams
“Writing down your feelings in a notebook or journal can help clear out negative thoughts and emotions that keep you feeling stuck.”
–Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, 23 Grand Slam Titles
Bruce Lee
In 1969, Bruce Lee wanted to be the greatest movie star. In fact, he wrote a 10-year plan to accomplish this. He also wrote daily journal entries. Clearly, Bruce Lee became a househould name and success. In fact, he is still today regarded as the greatest martial art actor that ever lived. His last movie, Enter The Dragon, grossed $90 Million!
Now, professional athletes are not the only successful people who journal:
Oprah Winfrey
“Keeping a journal will absolutely change your life in ways you’ve never imagined.”
– Oprah Winfrey
Oprah started journaling at 15 and wrote her dreams and goals in her journals. Because of her tenacity, confidence, and boldness, Oprah set many records as a young adult. She became the first black female journalist and the youngest working TV journalist at only 19 years old…and a Media mogul by the time she was 40 years old.
How to Start a Successful Fitness Journal
It is easy to get stuck when deciding how to a fitness journal. Do a simple Youtube search and you’ll find thousands of methods for journaling. Now, the method I propose isn’t the only way to journal. I’m sure it isn’t even the most effective method, but it works for me. I also find, it takes a relatively short amount of time, which is great for those trying a new habit.
5 Steps for Successful Journaling
- Get a Journal
- This should go without saying, but getting a journal is the first step. At COR, we will be giving you fitness journals for participating in March Mania. This makes it easy. However, you can pick up a composition journal for cheap online or at any store. Although many journal experts don’t recommend writing online, I think whatever method works for you is fine. Therefore are many different methods for writing. Google Drive and Evernote are a few simple methods to get started.
- Do it at the Same Time Each Day
- I usually recommend writing every day when you first wake up. Before you check your phone, before you drink coffee, just get up and go! Personally, I write 5-10 minutes when I wake up and 5-10 when I get home. This gives me a balance for planning, goal setting, and assessment.
- Have the same Prompts
- Prompts help us write, as just writing is harder than you think. Instead, having a routine and prompt each day helps. For my morning journaling, I write the following:
- 5 Things I’m grateful for
- 5 Things I’ve accomplished that I’m proud of
- 5 Things I want to accomplish in the future
- 1 Positive self-comment [then I write it 5 times]
- Routine for the day
- At night, I simply review what I wrote in the morning and see how I did. Did the things I do in the day reflect the things I wrote down? If yes, do I need to make them harder? If no, do I need to change them? Reflecting, ensuring what I did is what I want to do and if it
- Prompts help us write, as just writing is harder than you think. Instead, having a routine and prompt each day helps. For my morning journaling, I write the following:
- Don’t Overthink it
- Say you miss a day, that’s OK. Reflect on why you missed it. Did you really not have time? Is it taking too much time? Is it not convenient to lug a journal and a digital journal would work better? Assess the failure and come up with a solution.
- Have fun
- Like everything in life, having fun makes us more accountable. If doodling in your journal makes it more fun, DO IT! If getting a snazzy journal makes you smile every time you write in it, DO IT! Determine how this journal will give you joy [thank you Marie Kondo] and do it!
Fitness journaling is the best tool for making the S accountable in the PERMS acronym. This is why we give all our members and clients fitness journals to help their journey.
However, S, isn’t the only component of PERMS accountability. As I broke down in the first post, one PERMS is P: Peer accountability. This month, we will be holding our annual March Mania competition for our Boot Camp Members. The goal is to reduce body fat through fun exercise and healthy eating. Prizes will be given out based on which class scores the most points. If you want to starts your fitness journey come into COR and start your journey today!
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