How to Help Teens and Young Adults Journal and Plan Their Days With Purpose

The power of writing down our thoughts and feelings in a journal, and organizing our days with purpose, is the confidence, empowerment, and clarity we cultivate by implementing these rituals into our daily lives.

As Life Coaches for Teens and Young Adults we are always reminding our clients that our ultimate goal is to get them into the “driver’s seat” of their lives. A place where they feel more in control of the the results and outcomes they’re getting everyday. Because you are SO much more powerful than you realize! But if you don't slow down and put the distractions away (screens, other people, etc.) get clear and focused, and become mindful of what's really important, then life will create you rather than you creating your life! You will feel like a victim and most likely blame circumstances and people for what's not working in your life, rather than take full responsibility by getting focused and clear. Two rituals that Chris and I practice daily and weekly are journaling and planning out our week ahead with intention and purpose. And these two rituals alone have been empowering and life changing for our clients too!

The first Ritual is Journaling. When you take the time to write down all of your thoughts, feelings, ideas, and inner dialog, you create some distance from them so you can see things more objectively. You’re able to pause and reflect, then you have the ability to recognize that your thoughts and feelings don't have to control you, they’re a part of you and you get to decide how you react to them, which ones you choose to let in, and which ones you let go of. As with anything transformative this takes practice, and there is nothing like daily journaling to implement into your weekly routine. I’ve been keeping journals since I was about sixteen, I recently showed my daughter my huge bin filled with dozens of my old journals! Over the years I have had countless breakthroughs and "aha” moments, worked through many difficult times in my life, and by learning to separate from my thoughts and feelings and gaining a different perspective, I’ve found more compassion and empathy for other people in my life, healed relationships, and just see situations much more objectively so I don't take things so personally! Most importantly I’ve become by own best friend through understanding myself, all of me:) Journaling is truly the ultimate self-therapy!

The second Ritual is Planning with Purpose. Learning to map out your week in a planner is so important for any level of success. It’s not about creating “to-do” lists, although knowing your action steps is a huge part of the process. We teach planning in a way that is results focused and purpose driven. This means we help our clients first get clarity on what results are important in the week ahead, why these results are important, and how to connect them to their goals. And then we focus on the most productive action steps (to-dos) that will get them their results! Can you see and feel the difference between just jotting down a bunch of things that need to get done, and being intentional and purposeful about setting up your week for ultimate success?! It may sound like a lot at first, but with a little practice this becomes a Sunday ritual that gets you excited and clear for the week ahead!

With Love, 

Erin and Chris