If you’re serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured, and unique individual, keep a journal. Don’t trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.
I (Jim Rohn) used to take notes on pieces of paper and torn-off corners and backs of old envelopes. I wrote ideas on restaurant placemats and long sheets and narrow sheets and little sheets and pieces of paper thrown in a drawer. Then I found out that the best way to organize those ideas is to keep a journal. I’ve been keeping these journals since the age of twenty-five. The discipline makes up a valuable part of my own learning, and the journals are a valuable part of my library.
I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, “Twenty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?” The reason I pay twenty-six dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth twenty-six dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn’t have to look very far to discover that it is worth more than twenty-six dollars.
I must admit, if you got a glimpse of my journals, you’d have to say that I am a serious student. I’m not just committed to my craft, I’m committed to life, committed to learning new concepts and skills. I want to see what I can do with seeds and soil and sunshine and rain to turn them into the building blocks of a productive life.
Keeping a journal is so important. In fact, I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation.
The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures. Don’t be lazy in capturing the event. How long does it take to capture the event? A fraction of a second. How long does it take to miss the event? A fraction of a second. So don’t miss the pictures. When you’re gong, they’ll keep the memories alive.
The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated, and unique. It may have helped you conquer some disease. It may have helped you conquer poverty. It may have caused you to walk away from the ghetto. Your library–the books that instructed you, fed your mind and fed your soul–is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind. Every book is a stepping stone out of the darkness into the light.
The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. Journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you’re a serious student. Taking pictures, that’s pretty easy. Buying a book at a book store, that’s pretty easy. It is a little more challenging to be a student of your own life, your own future, and your own destiny. Take the time to keep notes and keep a journal. You’ll be so glad you did. What a treasure to leave behind when you go. And what a treasure to enjoy today.
* Source: Leading an Inspired Life by Jim Rohn