7 Habits Journal

Of all the inner gifts unique to human beings, the most unique is self-awareness -- the ability to "step outside ourselves" and think about our thinking, our behavior, our strengths and weaknesses, and our motives. As I have taught and led programs around the world, I have asked thousands of people, "Of all the unique human gifts -- particularly conscience, imagination, independent will, and self-awareness -- with which do you struggle most?" Most often, the answer is self-awareness.The best thing I know of to nurture self-awareness is to keep a journal. It is an activity that not only significantly increases self-awareness, but it also enhances each of our gifts and the synergy among them. This is true because self-awareness allows you to observe your involvement -- your participation -- in the activities and relationships of your life. It helps you begin to get "outside the box" of your thinking and the habit patterns of your life and sets you up for tremendous personal learning and growth.Your personal journal is a powerful tool that can help you keep connected to your life mission or vision. Just think of how the two interact. A mission statement* is your own personal constitution, and your journal is your record of how closely your thoughts and actions reflect that constitution. Your journal can become a more effective alignment instrument if you use it as a safe place you can go to reflect on your choices. Whether you're pleased or disappointed with the results you're getting in your life, write about it. Get it out on paper. Notice how the law of the harvest operates in your life. See how consequences flow from root causes. See how results can be traced to paradigms, processes, and habits and how those results either support or contradict the vision you defined for your life.Ask yourself meaningful questions in your journal. What is most important in my life? What are my most important relationships? What are the principles upon which I want to build my life? At the end of my life, how do I want to be remembered by those I care most about at home, at work, and in my community? What are my unique gifts and talents? How do I want to use them to make a difference in the world? As you continue to ponder these questions in your journal, your personal mission statement will evolve. This sense of expanding vision then becomes the context for keeping a journal -- a learning tool for comparing your day-to-day living with your vision for your life.If you're not sure why you do some things that you know are harmful or self-defeating, and that draw you away from your mission, analyze the situation, process it, and write it down. Recording these events helps build self-awareness which, in turn, helps you make wise choices.Also, don't be discouraged when you make mistakes. Remember that life is much like the flight of an airplane. Every flight begins with a specific destination and flight plan in mind. After takeoff, however, there are many factors that cause the plane to vary from the plan -- wind, rain, turbulence, air traffic, and even human error. Nevertheless, while most airplane flights are offtrack more than 90 percent of the time, they still arrive at their destinations. Why? Because their pilots make adjustments and continually return to their flight plans.We, too, are offtrack 90 percent of the time. However, if we have our destination and flight plan in mind -- our mission statements -- we can use our journals to strengthen our guidance systems of self-awareness and conscience and come back on track time after time. Our hope, then, lies not in the deviations of the flight but in the vision, the plan, and the ability we have to get back on track as many times as necessary to reach our goals.You will be more likely to write in your journal if you can see it as a friend -- someone with whom you can share your deepest feelings without judgment. Many people find that as they write, they solve most of theCovey, Stephen R. is the author of '7 Habits Journal' with ISBN 9780743237062 and ISBN 0743237064.