The Next Better Journal

Jan 26

To purchase the Next Better Journal on Amazon: Click Here

The Power of Intentional Journaling

This article isn’t about whether journaling is a powerful tool for a successful, fulfilling life. The data is out there. The proof is written in the thousands of people who have found the practice to be a key to self-improvement. Need a name-drop of success stories who have publicly shared that journaling has positively impacted their lives?

How about Richard Branson, Jennifer Aniston, Tim Ferriss, Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Holiday, Lady Gaga, Shonda Rhimes, or Matthew McConaughey?

If you want to know more about IF journaling works, ask ChatGPT.

This article is about the 4 main journaling practices that I’ve found most impactful, and why I put them in this journal.

This is a journal for high-achievers. High achievers who are growth-minded and servant-hearted. High-achievers who, despite all their hard work and success, realize there are still ways in which they can improve themselves, and serve the world more deeply. This journal is for YOU.

“Keeping a journal of what’s going on in your life is a good way to help you distill what’s important and what’s not.” - Martina Navratilova

Our problem in life is rarely that we aren’t doing enough. It’s that we are doing so much, and we don’t:

Take the time to reflect on why we do what we do
Process our experiences to make sure we’re making the right choices
Set up our days intentionally to maximize fulfillment and meaning

It’s for that reason that I’ve created The Next Better Journal, a year-long daily journal designed to help you build gratitude, reflect on what matters, and design your days, weeks, months, and life around building a fulfilling life doing meaningful work. A singular place to go Every. Single. Day….and define what makes your life great, and how to make it better.

I’ve journaled for more years than I can count. Some months, I’m more consistent than others. And the times that I’m consistent, it shows. It my thoughts, in my actions, and in my outcomes.

Over those years, I’ve tried so many types of journaling. Morning and Evening Journaling. Reflective Journaling. Gratitude Journaling. Specific Prompts, and Free-writing. And I’ve taken what I’ve learned in all these years, and condensed those practices into this intentional, practical journal.

For some, it’s enough to know that someone has taken the time to do the research, test out the options, and create a useful tool. If that’s you: click the link below to order your Next Better Journal on Amazon now.

But if you’re interested in why I included each section of the journal, how to practice successful, and tips to get the most from the journal…then keep reading.

Order Your Journal Today

About the Journal

The journal has 4 main features:

Below, I break down the parts of each of the four sections, and include: Why It’s Powerful, How to Practice, and Tips to Succeed.

1. Daily Journaling

Success isn’t built by a few grand actions, but by small, consistent wins that compound into a fulfilling life. We build a meaningful year 365 days at a time. The Next Better Journal’s Daily Journaling pages are intentionally designed to help you create a meaningful day, through the inclusion of 3 main practices: 3 Gratitudes, Thoughts, and Power 3. Below, I explain the importance of each, and how to get the most from those sections.

3 Gratitudes

Why it’s Powerful: Until we are grateful for what we have, we don’t deserve to have more. Research has shown that the practice of gratitude each day has tremendous physical and mental benefits, including:

Enhanced Focus and Discipline by allowing you to focus on what matters.
Improves Immunity by reducing cortisol and stress hormones.
Increased Contentment and Satisfaction by reminding you of all you already have.
Improved Sleep by taking your mind off all the thing you don’t have.

As the first prompt of the Next Better Journal, 3 Gratitudes invites you to remember what you already have in your life to be thankful for. And by doing so, we mentally shift from a mindset of scarcity to one of abudance. This frees us to be more focused on creating value for those we serve, making decisions for long-term growth, and being continent with where are and where we’re heading.

How to Practice: In the 3 Gratitudes spaces, write three things you are grateful for. You don’t need to write a lengthy description, a notation that elicits a thought of your gratitude is enough (e.g. My Wife, My health, Roof Over Head). The goal here is to feel the gratitude in yourself, not to prove it to someone else (no one’s likely going to read this but you).

Tips to Succeed: There are two main tips to get the most out of the 3 Gratitudes practice:

No Repeats from Yesterday: To avoid getting in a rut and going through the motions, don’t write any gratitudes you used yesterday.
Let It Sink In: After writing each gratitude, take 15-60 seconds to reflect on what makes you grateful for that person/place/thing/idea.

Thoughts

Why It’s Powerful: The Thoughts section of the Next Better Journal is a space to declutter your mind, gain clarity, and foster creativity. Journaling your thoughts helps you process emotions, identify patterns, and discover new perspectives. It can also serve as a mental reset, allowing you to approach your day with a fresh mindset.

Reduces Stress by offloading worries and mental clutter.
Enhances Self-awareness by exploring emotions and ideas.
Boosts Creativity and Problem-Solving by giving structure to scattered thoughts.
Builds a Positive Mindset through intentional affirmations and reflections.

How to Practice: There are several ways to make the most of the Thoughts section. Below are three powerful methods, but be sure to experiment with different styles to find what resonates with you:

Free-Writing: Let your thoughts flow without structure or judgment. Write whatever comes to mind—whether it’s a worry, a creative idea, or a random observation. The goal is to release mental clutter and create clarity.
Reflective Journaling: Dive deeper into a specific thought, feeling, or event. Ask yourself questions like, “Why did I feel this way?” or “What lesson can I take from this experience?” Reflecting helps you process and grow.
Positive Affirmations: Write statements that affirm your values, goals, and strengths. For example: “I am capable of overcoming challenges,” or “I am focused and aligned with my purpose.” Positive affirmations help reframe your mindset for the day.

Tips to Succeed: There are three main points to consider when it comes to the Thoughts section:

Consistency Over Perfection: Don’t worry about writing something profound. The act of journaling is more important than the content.
Keep It Focused: There’s a reason there aren’t too many lines. Keeping it focused makes it more likely you’ll practice every day.
Revisit When Needed: Use the “Thoughts” section as a tool to revisit ideas or moments of clarity (especially during the Weekly Reflection, described later). Over time, this can reveal patterns and inspire new insights.

Power 3

Why It’s Powerful: The Power 3 section of the Next Better Journal is your roadmap for the day. By identifying the three most important tasks to complete, you set clear priorities and create focus. This practice ensures you spend your energy on what truly matters, leading to a more productive and intentional day.

Creates Clarity: Knowing your top three tasks eliminates decision fatigue and helps you start the day with purpose.
Drives Focus: Keeps your attention on high-impact actions rather than getting lost in less important tasks.
Builds Momentum: Completing key tasks early in the day creates a sense of accomplishment and sets the tone for success.
Supports Balance: Encourages prioritization of not just professional goals, but also personal and relational ones.

How to Pratice: To make the most of the Power 3 section, ask yourself: “What three things do I need to do today to make sure my day is successful?”. Similar to the 3 Gratitudes, fill in the spaces with prompts that will remind you of the task, no details necessary (e.g. Sales Pitch, Son’s Rehearsal, Quarterly Review).

Here’s how to structure it:

Be Specific and Doable: Break larger projects into smaller, actionable steps that can realistically be completed in a day.
Prioritize by Impact: Focus on tasks that will create the greatest progress or resolve the most pressing issues.

Tips to Succeed: The Power 3 is where rubber meets the road, so be sure to use the following tips for maximum impact:

Tackle Them Before 1:00 PM: Early wins build momentum and ensure the most important work gets done, even if the day becomes chaotic later.
Keep It Realistic: Avoid setting yourself up for failure by choosing tasks that are too ambitious. Each item should be achievable within the day.
Stay Balanced: Include priorities from multiple areas of your life, ensuring personal, relational, and professional needs are met.

2. Weekly Reflection

Success is not just about what you accomplish in a day; it’s also about how you reflect, grow, and prepare for what’s next. The Weekly Reflection section of the Next Better Journal is designed to help you pause, celebrate wins, learn from challenges, and plan with intention. This section includes 3 prompt that guide you to create clarity and momentum for the week ahead: Three What-Went-Wells, What was a Challenge?, and What Do You Need to Prepare for Next Week?.

Three What-Went-Wells

Why It’s Powerful: Inspired by research from Positive Psychology (check out my book review on Martin Seligman’s Flourish for more), this prompt focuses on identifying and celebrating three successes from the week. This practice fosters positivity and helps you reinforce the habits that contribute to your wins.

Encourages Growth: By reflecting on what went well, you identify patterns of success that can be repeated.
Boosts Happiness: Research shows focusing on positives enhances resilience and overall well-being.
Shifts Mindset: Builds an abundance mindset by celebrating progress rather than dwelling on shortcomings.

How to Practice: Write down three things that went well during the week and why they happened. The “why” is key—understanding the actions or circumstances that contributed to your success helps you replicate those behaviors.

Tips to Succeed: While it may seem a simple practice, these tips help you find more from your successes:

Be Specific: Avoid generalizations like “I had a good week.” Focus on specific wins, such as completing a project or having a meaningful conversation.
Know your Role: Reflect specifically on what YOU did to make the success possible, such as preparation, persistence, or collaboration.
Celebrate Small Wins: Even minor achievements, like sticking to a routine, are worth recognizing.

What Was a Challenge?

Why It’s Powerful: Challenges and failures can be powerful learning opportunities. This prompt helps you examine obstacles with curiosity and identify actionable insights for the future.

Builds Resilience: Helps you reframe setbacks as opportunities to grow.
Promotes Problem-Solving: Encourages thoughtful analysis of what went wrong and how to improve.
Reduces Fear of Failure: Normalizes challenges as part of the growth process.

How to Practice: Identify one significant challenge or failure from the week. Write about what happened, why it occurred, and what you can do differently next time. Focus on actionable lessons rather than self-criticism.

Tips to Succeed: Discomfort is where growth occurs. Here’s how to turn those failures into lessons:

Be Honest: Reflecting on challenges requires self-awareness and honesty about what didn’t work.
Focus on Solutions: Shift your energy toward what you can learn or change rather than dwelling on the problem.
Look for Patterns: If certain challenges keep recurring, dig deeper to identify root causes.

What Do You Need to Be Prepared for Next Week?

Why It’s Powerful: This prompt bridges reflection and planning, helping you step into the new week with clarity and focus.

Increases Proactivity: Identifying priorities ahead of time reduces decision fatigue.
Boosts Confidence: Mental preparation equips you to handle challenges with clarity.
Ensures Alignment: Keeps your actions tied to your long-term goals and values.

How to Practice: Write down you feel you’re going to need to do, create, focus on, or put together to be successful next week. As opposed to To-Dos, focus on what matters most in order to feel successful.

Tips to Succeed: Staying out of the weeds is important for this prompt, so here are three tips:

Prioritize Big Rocks: Focus on the most impactful tasks that align with your values and goals.
Think Holistically: Include priorities from all areas of your life, such as work, relationships, and personal well-being.
Avoid Details: Don’t stress about listing out your To-Dos (do that in your “apps”), this is more about what you feel will move the needle forward in your life.

3. Habit Tracker

“We are what we DO, not what we say we’ll do.” - Carl Jung

Habit Tracker

Why It’s Powerful: Habits are the building blocks of success. The Habit Tracker section of the Next Better Journal helps you intentionally track, reflect on, and refine your habits, ensuring that small, consistent actions lead to meaningful results. With space for ten habits, daily tracking, and prompts to evaluate your progress, this tool creates a feedback loop for continuous growth.

Creates Accountability: Daily tracking builds awareness and keeps you honest about your efforts.
Reinforces Consistency: Seeing progress over time motivates you to stick with your habits.
Promotes Reflection: Weekly evaluations help you refine your habits and stay aligned with your goals.

How to Practice: Each week (before the week' starts), write up to ten habits that you will incorporate into your life. Some things to consider These can be daily actions that align with your goals, such as exercising, meditating, or reaching out to a loved one. Use the tracker to mark off each day you complete the habit. Review your progress at the end of the week using the reflection prompts.

Tips to Succeed: While there are plenty of tips to succeed in deciding on and creating a new habit (check out James Clear’s book Atomic Habits for more), here are 5 tips on how to use the tracker.

Rewrite to Reinforce: Though it may seem redundant, rewriting your habits each week reinforces them, and reaffirms their importance in your daily life.
Four Weeks Straight: Aim to maintain a habit for at least four weeks to solidify it in your routine. If a habit is still challenging after four weeks, assess whether it’s realistic or aligned with your goals.
All of Life’s Areas: Include habits across multiple areas of life—professional, personal, and relational—to create holistic growth. Check out my model for wellbeing for a great way to balance your habits across all 8 aspects of your wellness.
Start Slow: Consistency beats intensity. If this is your first time using a habit tracker, pick one (how about journaling?). Then, add one every 2-3 weeks, and cycle off ones that you’ve integrated successfully.
Keep the Fulfilling Ones: If there’s a habit you know brings you fulfillment, meaning, and/or happiness, keep it on the list. If you love to write, exercise, or call a loved one, keep that front and center on the list.

What Habits Were Harder, and Why?

Why It’s Powerful: This prompt is designed to have you reflect on the obstacles that stood in your way. Going beyond the self-defeating “I didn’t do that AGAIN” is necessary to determine what is standing in your way, by doing the following:

Identifies Barriers: Reflecting on hard-to-follow habits helps uncover obstacles that might be holding you back.
Encourages Problem-Solving: Allows you to strategize ways to overcome challenges and stick with your commitments.
Fosters Self-Compassion: Recognizes that difficulty is part of growth, shifting the focus from judgment to improvement.

How to Practice: At the end of the week, list the habits you struggled with and explore why they were harder to maintain. Was it due to lack of time, motivation, or external circumstances? Write down possible solutions for next week.

Tips to Succeed: It’s important to avoid skimming this part, as our failures are our biggest lessons. Here are 3 tips how:

Take Ownership: While there may be external circumstances that were at play, focus on what you have control over. These are the aspects you can change.
Look for Patterns: If certain habits are consistently hard, consider adjusting them to better fit your lifestyle.
Plan Ahead: Use what you learn to modify your approach and remove barriers for the upcoming week (see the upcoming prompt, “What Needs to Change Next Week?).

What Habits Were Easier, and Why?

Why It’s Powerful: This prompt leans into your strengths, by looking for patterns and actions that lean into your strengths. By looking deeper into what comes more easily for you, this practice:

Reinforces Success: Recognizing habits that come naturally encourages you to build momentum.
Highlights Strengths: Shows what’s working well and aligns with your natural tendencies.
Encourages Progress: Provides insight into how you can leverage these habits for greater impact.

How to Practice: Write down the habits that felt easier to maintain during the week. Reflect on why they were easier—did they align with your schedule, values, preferences, strengths, or something more?

Tips to Succeed: It can be easy to write these habits off as “easy”, but what comes easy to you may not for others. Learn to untap these hidden opportunities with these tips:

Leverage Your Strengths: Easy habits often align with your natural skills or values. Use this insight to identify and build similar habits for further growth.
Optimize for Efficiency: Look at why these habits fit so seamlessly and replicate those conditions for harder habits.
Layer for Impact: Use easy habits as a foundation to stack new ones, like using morning hydration as a trigger journaling or meditating.

What Needs to Change Next Week?

Why It’s Powerful: This prompt brings the practice of adapting to your reflection, by using your uncovered successes and shortcoming as a launching point to improve your progress. This prompt:

Fosters Adaptability: Encourages you to adjust your habits based on what worked and what didn’t.
Promotes Alignment: Ensures your habits stay relevant to your current goals and priorities.
Encourages Growth: Keeps you focused on improvement rather than perfection.

How to Practice: Use this prompt to identify changes you need to make for the upcoming week. This might include tweaking habits, adding new ones, or adjusting your approach to existing ones.

Tips to Succeed: While there may be times that change isn’t necessary (if it ain’t broke…..), but even micro-adjustments each week can have a tremendous impact on your future. Consider these tips:

Be Proactive: Plan specific changes and incorporate them into your routine from the start of the week.
Focus on Small Tweaks: Avoid overhauling all your habits at once. Small adjustments lead to sustainable progress.
Track the Impact: Evaluate how your changes influence your success and refine further as needed.

4. Monthly Reflection

The Monthly Reflection section of the Next Better Journal is where you step back from the day-to-day grind to assess the bigger picture. These pages, located at the end of the journal, provide an opportunity to celebrate wins, analyze challenges, and set a clear direction for the month ahead. Whether you're starting in January, June, or November, these reflections help align your actions with your long-term goals and values.

The section is divided into two parts:

Monthly Reflection – Looks back at the past month to celebrate successes, learn from challenges, and identify areas for growth. This includes Three What Went Wells, What Did You Do Well?, and What Could Have Gone Better?
Looking Ahead – Focuses on planning for the upcoming month, aligning your goals and preparing for potential challenges. This includes Next Month’s Power 3, What Needs to Change?, and What Might Stand In Your Way? Who/What Can Help?

Below, we’ll explore each of the prompts in detail, with actionable tips to help you get the most from these pages.

Three What Went Wells

Why It’s Powerful: Through the power of positive psychology, this builds gratitude and confidence by celebrating successes and recognizing the actions you took to make them happen.

Encourages Gratitude: Builds positivity by recognizing what went right.
Reinforces Success Patterns: Helps you identify actions and behaviors that contributed to your wins.
Fosters Confidence: Celebrating successes creates motivation for continued progress.

How to Practice: Write down three things that went well during the month and reflect on what you did to make them happen. Be specific about your contributions to reinforce intentional habits.

Tips to Succeed: Given the similarity to the Weekly Reflection practice, be intentional about your reflection here, to avoid redundancy, Here are three tips:

Focus on Impact: Choose wins that made a meaningful difference, no matter how big or small.
Acknowledge Your Role: Highlight how your actions directly influenced the outcomes.
Look for Trends: Try to avoid rehashing your Weekly wins, but do use those to recognize recurring successes and identify consistent strengths.

What Did You Do Well?

Why It’s Powerful: By focusing on what parts you played, this prompt leans into your strengths, reinforcing what’s working and aligning your efforts with your natural abilities.

Leans into Strengths: Recognizing what you excel at helps you leverage your natural abilities.
Encourages Self-Reflection: Allows you to assess how your efforts align with your goals.
Builds Strategic Awareness: Identifies areas where you’re most effective and can double down.

How to Practice: List the strengths, habits, or strategies you demonstrated over the past month. Use trends see in your Weekly Reflection, or look for bigger pictures items. Reflect on how these contributed to your progress and how they can be applied moving forward.

Tips to Succeed: While it may be easy to “copy and paste” your answers from the weekly reflections, be sure to dive deeper to uncover major live considersations. Here’s how:

Be Honest and Specific: Avoid generalizations like “I worked hard” and dig into specific actions or behaviors.
Tie to Goals: Connect your strengths to your larger goals for clarity and alignment.
Note the Themes: Look for trends that are consistent throughout the weeks, and explore those further through learning and practice.

What Could Have Gone Better?

Why It’s Powerful: By tying those hiccups and trip-ups together through the weeks, this prompt encourages growth by identifying opportunities for improvement and addressing obstacles constructively.

Promotes Strategic Growth: By examining what didn’t go as planned, you can identify systemic or recurring issues that may impact long-term success.
Fosters Innovation: Recognizing areas for improvement encourages creative thinking and opens the door to new strategies or approaches.
Deepens Awareness of Priorities: Reflecting on missed opportunities helps clarify whether your focus aligns with your larger goals and values.

How to Practice: Reflect on obstacles or areas where you fell short. Write about what happened, why it occurred, and what changes could improve outcomes next month.

Tips to Succeed: A problem one week is a lesson. A recurring issue is an opportunity. Here are some tips to be sure your setback becomes a success.

Be Solution-Oriented: Focus on what you can do differently, not just what went wrong.
Recognize Patterns: Look for recurring challenges to address root causes.
Frame as Growth: Reframe setbacks as opportunities to improve and evolve.

Next Month’s Power 3

Why It’s Powerful: Your Monthly Power 3, when coupled with long-term strategic planning work, can align your monthly focus with long-term goals, providing clarity and direction for impactful progress.

Focuses on Big Goals: Aligns your monthly actions with quarterly or long-term objectives.
Provides Direction: Gives clarity on the most impactful areas to focus on.
Encourages Strategic Thinking: Ensures your daily efforts support your higher-level vision.

How to Practice: Identify three high-level goals or priorities for the upcoming month. Make sure they align with your values and overall strategic plan.

Tips to Succeed: This section is where the magic happens. By tying together your daily Habit Tracker, Weekly Reflections, and daily Power 3, you’ll create a life you deem meaningful. Here are the tips for how:

Think Big, But Achievable: Focus on goals that challenge you but are attainable within a month.
Tie to Metrics: Be sure to tie your habits to process-focused metrics that align with your monthly Power 3, for better tracking and accountability.
Revisit Weekly: Look at your monthly focuses during your weekly reflections to ensure your daily actions align with these priorities.

What Needs to Change?

Why It’s Powerful: By consistently asking yourself how you can improve, you will promote adaptability by highlighting adjustments that can lead to better outcomes in the future.

Encourages Adaptability: Reflecting on change keeps you flexible and responsive to challenges.
Promotes Growth: Identifies new strategies or shifts to improve outcomes.
Keeps Goals Relevant: Ensures your habits and priorities remain aligned with evolving circumstances.

How to Practice: Write down high-level changes you need to make for the next month. These could be habits to adjust, mindsets to shift, or areas of focus to prioritize.

Tips to Succeed: It’s one thing to say you’ll change. Here are some tips for making it stick:

Be Specific: Name the exact changes you’ll implement and why.
Make it Sticky: Pick a habit that aligns with the change, and track it.
Reflect Often: Use the next month’s Weekly Reflections and follow up Monthly reflection to evaluate how these changes impacted your results.

What Might Stand in Your Way? Who/What Can Help?

Why It’s Powerful: No one ever succeeded alone. This prompt builds resilience by preparing for challenges and identifying the resources or support systems you can lean on for success.

Builds Awareness: Recognizing obstacles helps you prepare for them proactively.
Encourages Collaboration: Identifies resources or support systems you can rely on.
Promotes Resilience: Equips you to navigate challenges effectively.

How to Practice: List potential obstacles and think through solutions or support systems that can help you overcome them. This could include people, tools, or strategies.

Tips to Succeed: There are people out there ready, willing, and capable to help you overcome any obstacle. Here are some tips for colloboration:

Know Your Weaknesses: When you reflect on your weaknesses, you can find people whose strengths will compliment you.
Elicit Allies: Those complimentary people are in your network. Reach out with specific asks, and offer value in return.
Plug into Other Networks: Find a place where your strengths serve most strongly.

Start Your Journey Today

In the time it took you to read this article, you could have completed 3 days of journaling, and been on your way to your Next Better self.

The Next Better Journal is your guide to aligning your daily actions with your long-term vision, helping you grow with intention and purpose. Whether you're starting fresh or continuing your journey, it's the perfect tool to keep you focused on what matters most.

Grab your (next) copy of the Next Better Journal on Amazon: Click Here.

Start creating the clarity, alignment, and success you deserve—one day, week, and month at a time. Your next better chapter starts now!

For more on my work on helping high-achievers find direction towards a fulfilling life of meaningful work, check out my website: NextBetter.com.

Lucas Woody