The "Savvy Mom" Coach

When I was a girl, I started writing in a journal after reading Judy Blume’s book, “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret”.

I had found journaling was the most effective way for me to gain clarity on my thoughts, feelings and desires without saying something to others that I didn’t mean or was embarrassed to say. It allowed me a safe way to understand ‘me’ first and I knew that somehow by writing this down, someone was listening to me and helping me find my own answers! Looking back, I now know this was my first experience into connecting with my soul.

After several people mentioned the book "Write It Down, Make It Happen" by Henriette Anne Klauser, I decided to see what it was all about. I was very excited to read in this book how we can use journaling with purpose and start writing down our goals AND how we feel about working towards those goals!

I felt as if this was the missing piece I stumbled upon! She further explains that by writing things down, it sends a signal to the brain that you mean business! It’s more that just a wavering thought; it’s something we will actually ACT upon!

How many of you are like me and put a goal out there and think we’re working really hard to accomplish it but it’s just not happening fast enough, so we quit? The book says that when this happens, instead of quitting, we can ask three questions to ourselves in a journaling format (free and open):

What more do I have to learn?

What is the lesson here for me?

What is the ‘waiting’ teaching me?

Sometimes it’s insightful enough to know that things happening or not happening on the outside are great reflections of what our own internal struggles. By looking within and writing about it, we start understanding our emotions, fears or beliefs that may be preventing us from reaching our goals.

When I spend time coaching my clients, the majority of our work is spent breaking the negative patterns, beliefs and thoughts we have relied on for years and replace them with positive, more supportive ones to help work “with us” instead of “against us”.

In an effort to arm you with tools that will help you be the most successful you can be; here are some tips I compiled to start you on your way!

1. Use an existing notebook or purchase a new one and designate this as your “Journal of Goals”

2. Ask yourself three questions:

a. What is it that I want right now?

b. How will I feel when this happens?

c. What can I do to be ready for this to come to me?

3. Write regularly in your journal about the experiences, feelings, and thoughts that surface while you are working towards your goals.

The second question gets your feelings about your goals invested into the process. It’s like test driving the car of your dreams so you can remember how great it feels and inspires you to make it happen!

The last question, is also an important piece to this process and what the author calls “Stirring the Pot”. By asking yourself what actions you are willing to take to help your goals formulate from words on paper into real life possibilities is key to “Making It Happen”!

That’s it. I have found these steps to be simple yet SO powerful in helping us work towards our goals!

In fact, months later I created the Savvy Moms Journal as a tool that helped me in creating my personal, business and family goals. 

Of course, I asked the help of a friend and journaling expert, Carla Reeves, owner of Sanity Journals and designer of custom journals. Check out her great products at www.sanityjournals.com