Want More Wisdom? Engage in this One Imperative Practice

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Aristotle  

“Having the courage to reckon with our emotions and to rumble with our stories is the path to writing our brave new ending,” Brené Brown

“What happens to us is not as important as the meaning we assign to it. Journaling helps sort this out.” Michael Hyatt

• Do you want to become a more proactive, creative leader?

• Do you want to develop a higher EQ?

• Do you want to become wiser through intentional reflection of past wins and failures, and apply the lessons to future performance?  

Over the past 30 years as a coach, I’ve evangelized reflection time and journaling as critical leadership companions for as long as I can remember. Without fail, the leaders that have consistently engaged in these practices have experienced greater self-awareness, creativity, and clarity. It has allowed for a respite from the grind, and an essential escape from an otherwise brutally busy day.

Blocking time for this ritual has been a pathway to reflection and wisdom for centuries. Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Frederick Douglass embraced it. Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman were avid participants. Oprah, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, and countless others are in the circle of today’s leaders who vouch for the power of journaling.

Kaiser Permanente, in their 2020 study on wellness, pointed out seven celebrated benefits of journaling.

1. It’s an accelerated path to goal attainment. When we write down our goals, the flow journaling provides illuminates creative pathways for accomplishing our achievements.

2. Progress and growth are easier to track, allowing for accountability.

3. Confidence increases based on the proof provided by the recorded evidence of the strides made.

4. Communication skills improve due to the consistent practice of writing.

5. Inspiration, imagination, and invention emerge.

6. Stress and anxiety stay at bay when we process negative emotions through writing.

7. Memory improves. Writing down a thought sends a signal to our brains that it’s piece of information important enough to remember.

In my own reflection and journaling time, an idea pursued me. How could I take some key “pointes” of wisdom from the last three decades in business, and build them into a leadership resource? Wisdom is earned from our experiences only when we take the time to reflect on them, then apply the learning and discernment to current and future performance.

Click here to find the leadership journal I created for learning, reflection, and personal application.  

At a time when we spend an average of seven hours daily in front of our screens looking for information, and 22 percent of our disposable income on self-care, what we could really use is more wisdom.