Journal Writing for business?

As many of you know, I occasionally teach Journal Writing classes at night.

Unlike a diary, where you record the exciting (and not so exciting) events of your day to day life, a journal can be so much more.

One of the first things I teach is that there are different kinds of journals. One of those being a business journal.

A business journal is simply where you record what you are doing in business, what did and didn’t work, as well as a place to brainstorm new business ideas and strategies.

There are several journaling exercises that can be used in a personal or business journal. One of my favorites is The List.

You know The List: The to-do list, the list of things to discuss at the next meeting………if you are like me, you have lists to tell you where you left your lists!

Ok, I’m not THAT bad, but I have my lists.

For those who like lists, check out The List of 100

Here is an exercise I do in my class that can easily be used in business. It’s called The List of 100.

Lists help us to stay organized. In today’s busy society, I’m sure we could all use a little organization! Lists are also a great mind joggling tool.

Lists help us gather a lot of information, help us clarify our thoughts, and brainstorm new ideas and solutions to problems.

Here’s how you do this exercise:

Number a page 1-100 – if 100 seems like it would be too daunting, do a list of 50.

Now, think about what you want the list to be. Some examples of themes for business:

* 100 ways to market my business
* 100 people (in your industry or niche, famous authors, etc…) I want to connect with.
* 100 ways to make money from home
* 100 ways to save money on business expenses

…you get the idea.

Why a list of 100?

Do the exercise and you’ll see!

Some tips for The List

* Write quickly. Writing as fast as you can allows you to capture the essence of the thought and move along to the next one.
* It’s ok to repeat- Repetition is a very important part of the list of 100 process. It helps establish patterns and themes.
* You don’t need complete sentences- you know what you mean.
* Your entries don’t have to make sense- Every now and then you’ll have a random thought that doesn’t seem to be connected at all. Write it down and keep going.
* If you get stuck, write “stuck” and move on to the next number.

So why not give it a try?

I will give it a few days to give everyone a chance to do the exercise.

Over the weekend, I will post how to use your list to help you in business.

Until then, have a prosperous week!