WHAT IS THE REN JOURNAL PRACTICE?

Many years ago, with individual coaching clients, Courtney developed a daily journaling practice for their use. That practice is offered here today, for you.

THE PURPOSE OF THE PRACTICE

One of the largest gaps in senior leadership is in the practice of reflective leadership. Though this is a practice that is highly valued by most Founders and Entrepreneurs and it is prevalent in the early days of building a business conceptually, in the space of managing a successful team, service, or retail channel, it rapidly gets lost.

Reflective leadership involves self-awareness, introspection, and continuous learning and growth to make better decisions, enhance leadership skills, and improving team performance. 

For Founders, Entrepreneurs, and Senior Leaders we have found that a very simple, very brief, and very consistent practice of reflective journaling serves the following purposes:

• Helps the leader download what has been happening and “close the book” on their day
• Helps the leader have a private and contained outlook for their successes and their struggles
• Helps the leader recognize what to celebrate about the work they are flourishing with and how to ask for help in areas of need
• Helps the leader track patterns of measurable success and measurable gaps, offering data for their growth individually, and for delegation on their team
• Helps the leader feel relief and clarity, having an honest assessment of what is happening for them

THE WILD HUMANS REN JOURNALING PRACTICE

Here are the steps in the Wild Humans REN Journaling Practice. We recommend you practice on a regular schedule and at the same time of day for best habit setting, neurological benefits, and results.

1. Purchase a small spiral-bound notebook (we recommend 6×9 or similar) and keep a pen with it.

2. Commit to doing your journaling by hand – the pen-to-paper aspect of this has a big impact on the outcome for the nervous system and the learning that is connected to it.

3. Try to make space to do this activity at the end of your workday, as the last thing that you do before you go home.

4. Record the answers to these questions each day. Make sure to mark your entry with the date and time. You can spend a lot of time on this and make it thorough, or you can write quick bullets and be done within a few minutes. Just make sure to be clear enough that you can understand what you meant when you read it back later.

• What went well?
• What went badly?
• What help is needed?
• What can I let go of?
• What am I grateful for?

5. First, work to be consistent in your practice. If once a day is too much at first, try once a week on the same day of the week. Over a few months, look back at what you have written. Track the things that are consistently good and have a closer look at the things that are consistently leaving you feeling as if you need help.

The “went badly” and “need help” areas that repeat themselves are areas that are draining your energy and need to be delegated or otherwise supported.

The “went well” and “grateful for” items that repeat are calls home to the things that you are crushing, the things you’re excellent at and give you energy, and are areas you should make more room for.

The practice itself is a gesture of you dedicating mental resources to consideration of the mental impact your business has on you and finding places where shifts in your behavior are reflecting this.

Give this practice a try. Please remember that a true shift in habit doesn’t happen for 66 days or more, so you will need to give it a bit of time in order to see a real impact.