Is keeping a diary really good for business? According to the Harvard Business Review, the answer appears to be yes. Awareness can equal productivity in business.

According to a recent study, workers felt increased levels of focus, patience, planning, and personal growth as a result of being asked to keep a daily diary while working on a difficult project. The article stops short of suggesting why the journaling was so helpful to these employees. Perhaps more research is needed. But my guess is that it has something to do with awareness and reflection.

Awareness is something we rarely talk about. It is the act of focusing on what we are focusing on. In general, we suffer from a lack of this in the fast-paced culture in which we live.

At any given moment there are thousands of things vying for our attention. Most of us can pull a supercomputer out of our pockets and instantly see what hundreds of our “friends” are up to, all over the country, in a matter of seconds.

Information can be great. It can also be overwhelming. Picking up a pen and paper forces us to slow down and focus our awareness inward. Journaling helps us sift through the noise and focus on what really matters.

Furthermore, research shows that as we grow in our ability to focus our awareness inward (a process known as reflection), we can experience less stress and anxiety.

Which version of yourself do you prefer at work? A stressed out and anxious you, or a focused and patient you?

Written By: Eric McClerren, LAPC