Small Business Research and Enterprise

By: Nicky Torode, Diamond Minds

As a founder and entrepreneur life can feel always on, no? No time to switch off—not fully—when there’s so much to decide, deliver, check on, create and keep going. If that sounds like you let me ask: have you tried journaling yet?

Journaling is such a perfect tool, made for entrepreneurs you might say. Journaling, that expressive, free flow, fast writing, is the key to hear YOURSELF think in this noisy world of business. Tune into your voice, your hunches, and your motivations, and drive your success. Besides, journaling is quick, no cost, no tech, instant and effective.

World Mental Health Day is coming up on 10 October, so why not experiment with journaling to build a positive mindset? And what better topic for business owners than journaling into setbacks. See if you can shift— or broaden at least—your perspective on a lingering setback through journaling. With hindsight and reflection, often something more encouraging emerges.

Get ready to journal

Pick up your journal, your pen and give yourself just 17 minutes to work through these exercises. You can type if you like, although writing by hand connects deeper and quicker to your core. Try both to see what works best for you.

The key to starting a journaling habit is to journal alongside your weekly or daily habits. With your morning coffee? Just after lunch? When you ‘habit stack’ as author James Clear tells us, you’ll feel more inclined to do it, not groan that it’s another thing on the to-do list.

To leverage the insight that flies out of your pen, after each spurt of journaling scan what you wrote and pick out a word or phrase that resonates for you now. Ask yourself: is there some action to take? Something to do/start/stop/decide?

For me, this is what makes journaling insightful, practical and effective:

• Journal fast
• Journal uninterrupted
• Journal true
• Reflect on your fresh words
• Pick out an action point

Journaling #1: Setback: What’s in a word? [3 mins]

Write a list of 7 words that you associate with the word setback. Write at the speed they come into your mind – no overthinking! Go!

Now look back at your list and reflect. Is there anything surprising, anything hopeful?

You might already be lifting the lid on what a setback is.

Journaling #2: 3^rd person writing [5 mins]

Part one: Write a list of 5 recent setbacks, from major to minor, that are on your mind now.

Part two: Pick one from your list that feels useful to explore further. Write an account of what you did in that moment of the setback. Write it in the 3^rd person, as if you were a fly on the wall watching your response. Use your name.

Example:

Nicky tutted and rolled her eyes as she read the rejection email. That little inner voice was quick to throw out Well, I knew that would happen. She deleted the email. Thing is, the next day her head was still heavy with it. In fact, in the intervening hours she’d started to read between the lines…

Reflect  [1 min]: What are you noticing about yourself from this fly on the wall? Write a one-sentence reflection that might help you for the weeks ahead.

Journaling #3: What your bestie might say. [2 minutes]

Your bestie, a mentor, a teacher from long ago, a family member, anyone who gets you. Really gets you. Conjure them now in your mind’s eye. Hear their voice now, see the way their eyes smile as they really listen to you.

What might they say about this recent setback? Write 3 separate sentences as if they’d flown straight out of their mouths!

Reflect on which one feels the most helpful for you to move forward from this setback and mark it.

Journaling #4: What if? [5 minutes]

“What if?” is a great question for cracking open something, turning your thinking on its head.

What if this setback was a prelude, preparing you for something new, what is the new thing it’s preparing you for?

Wonder into this question… Remember write at speed, don’t stop to ponder. Keep going, word after word. Repeat the question, or some words from the question, on the page to keep up the momentum! More always comes.

Final Reflection: Complete the sentence [1 min]

Scan what’s come out in your journaling today and write a final sentence, copying this jump-off line into your journal and flowing where your pen takes you:

Knowing this I’m going to…..

I truly hope by writing things down, probing into the experience and your thinking and reactions, you’ve managed to hear yourself think, see something new to help you move forward with optimism and confidence.

Learn more about Nicky:

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