Background and Overview
This journal structure is designed with very specific instructions to accomplish a very specific outcome. Simply put, the specific outcome is to DO something that reorients your thoughts and focus to something that is positive. Rather than using old neural pathways that are associated with fear, deficiency, lack, or inadequacy, this journal, when done daily, builds stronger neural pathways associated with hope, sufficiency, adequacy, agency, confidence, and safety.
In order to create this benefit for your brain, you must complete the first three steps (the fourth is relatively optional) each time, and you must write the items down. Merely thinking of each item in an ad hoc way will not work. In fact, doing so may actually only serve to reinforce the old neural pathways instead. Doing them out of order will be the same. You must do all of the steps, in order, once a day to experience the benefit. When you have completed one week of daily practice with this structured journal, you will already see the benefits showing up automatically throughout your life.
CAUTION: Do not set yourself up for failure by believing that you should feel one thing or another in doing this journal. Whether you feel good when you do it or after you do it is irrelevant to doing it. The intent of this structured journal practice is not to create a positive feeling; if there are positive feelings that you experience in doing it, they will merely be lovely side-effects. Whatever you do, be aware of the trap of doing it so that you will experience a positive feeling. You are doing this to train your mind to be stronger, more focused, and more supple. Like with any physical training, you will only get the benefit by doing it regularly, and it may not feel good each time.
Remember, this is a strategic brain building practice, not a quick fix or method to change your feeling state. It is designed specifically to orient your brain and body toward your value and safety, and away from guilt and threat. The more you practice it, the more strength your brain will have to stay in the place of the new orientation. The more your brain uses this newly built and strong neural pathway, the less time and energy it will spend on the old one, the old one which costs your body so much more energy by being stuck in worry and protection.
Instructions
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- This entire journal should only take you 10 minutes per day to complete. If you find it is taking longer or that it feels like an obligation, it is all too likely that you are approaching it incorrectly.
- Do it daily, typically at the same time each day. Either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. When done at night, it has the added benefit of calming the mind and assisting in better sleep, if that is a problem for you.
- Always follow the same structure. If you find you would like to spend more time working with it each day, feel free to increase in 5 minute increments, but never more than 20 minutes.
- When starting out, set your commitment as “I am going to build my brain,” rather than “This is something I have to do”
- When listing items in Part 1 (Acknowledgment) and Part 2 (Victory), focus on something from ONLY the last 24 hours. For Part 3 (Intention), focus ONLY on the upcoming day.
STRUCTURE PARTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT (of things outside yourself): Minimum of 3 items, such as….
♦ Things people said or did that you benefitted from
♦ Elements of your environment that you appreciate or take pleasure in
♦ Anything that came into your life that you did not directly make happen today
Examples (small and large): My wife smiled at me this morning; The sun was shining; Other drivers did not crash into me in the snow; I was offered the job I wanted
VICTORY (for things I did): Minimum 1 item:
♦ Something you accomplished or completed, no matter how small or large, unique or routine.
Examples: I responded to 20 emails; I set a boundary with someone; I got out of bed; I put matching socks on; I accomplished my 2 INTENTION items set in yesterday’s journal
INTENTIONS: 2 or 3 items to accomplish in the next 24 hours (top priority items)
♦ Keep them reasonable and small, but specific and concrete
♦ Does not matter if they are routine or new tasks
♦ Make sure that you have the time in your schedule to complete them
♦ Keep this part of your list available to you during the course of the upcoming day (phone, tablet, planner, notebook, etc.
♦ Make sure these items do not depend on others’ participation or cooperation
Examples: Return 2 specific phone calls; I will breathe mindfully every hour; Spend 30 minutes of undivided attention with a loved one or friend; I will revisit this Intention list at lunch/break to see if it needs modification; I will start a project/complete a project
DREAM: Only 1 bigger accomplishment/change you want in your life that is even remotely possible within 2-6 months from today (this can be the same one for several days if you wish)
Examples: In 2 months, I will be going to bed regularly at 11pm; In 3 months, I will have saved $____ in my account; In 6 months, I will be working in a job that suits me.”
After you write this statement down, you will be done writing. Spend the remainder of your allotted time (e.g. 10 minutes), dreaming into that moment down the road when you will be living with the change you are dreaming of.
♦ What do you see or not see?
♦ What do you feel or not feel?
♦ What do you hear or not hear?
♦ What else are you doing or not doing?
In the first couple of times doing this Structured Journal Practice, you may want to keep this outline with you. After that, all you have to do is remember: AVID:
Acknowledge
Victory
Intention
Dream
Click here to download a two-page PDF of this Structured Journal.
