Training Journals & Motivation
I’ve talked about it in the welcome zoom Q & A’s and there has been some chat on the FB group about using a training journal and I’ve been asked to share a bit more about that so I thought I will post about creating a journal.
First of all picking your style of journaling is important and I’d like to share a few reasons why I prefer a physical paper journal to a digital one.
The biggest reason I prefer it, is that it is harder for me to ignore 😂. I have it sitting on my desk next to my computer and it stares at me whispering “hey, you need to train to have things to add to me” 😂. A digital journal which I have played with many times perfecting, well I have to go to them and open them, they are very easy to ignore or just simply forget about.
There is also just something that hits different when you take pen to paper, the thought it takes writing something out can often help you work through thoughts more clearly.
So what do you put in your journal???
My journal is basically a big checklist format because I have a LOT of goals and this is the easiest way for me to track.
I suggest you think about your training goals for the year.
Think about: your big goals and also those little ones along the way. And then write those goals down.
I want you to start your journal by listing the top 3 reasons you don’t train when you want to (too tired, forgot, work too much, didn't know what to do, frustrated by process, etc)
Then I want you to write down 3 reasons why you want to work on your goals (what motivates you? What do you want out of this? Be as specific as you can)
Some people struggle with setting goals because they feel badly or like failing when those goals go un met. So if this is you I want you to reframe what a training goal is. It is a direction you want to head, a way to identify areas where you feel like your dog’s behavior affects your life in ways you wish it wouldn’t, it is a method to identify the specific things you can and want to change in your relationship with you, but it’s not a “to accomplish list”. It is a where can we improve list.
If you are someone who really struggles with goal setting then don’t set goals, just journal your process, write down where you are now, and every week add a short summary of how the week went.
Why is this SO IMPORTANT???
Because your mind lies to you. The critic inside your head is not a valid source of Information, for that we need solid data! If you write down what your goal are, what areas you struggle with your dog and want to improve or if you simply journal your process, I guarantee you when you look back on it later you will discover how in so many ways your dog’s behavior has improved and so has your training.
The bigger your goals are, the more detailed you make your plans and the more you track your training sessions the better your training will become. Again, data is reliable our perceptions often are not reliable.
I keep track of each training session with quick notes. I don’t remember to do so every time, but it really helps me to look back and see the progress we are making, it motivates me to keep going! Again, the bigger the goals the more you track the better you will get.
Do you plan your training sessions??? This is another way to help you stay organized and motivated! I’m gonna share something silly and simple but for me it really works!!
I LOVE checking boxes, it’s a little dopamine hit for me to check an empty box. For real, it is an actual reinforcement for ME, it makes me super happy. I make packing lists just so I can check boxes. 😂. Simple satisfaction.
So before I head out to train I use my phone notes and jot down what I want to work on, and I plan my training so I know what I want to accomplish with that session. And I use the checkbox option so later I can check those boxes!
You can definitely do it all digitally if that works for you! There are many habit apps that allow you to track things, you can use spreadsheets and word processing to journal. It really is what works best for you and what most motivates you! If you do go digital make sure you have some kind of reminder system that prompts you to log in!!!
If you wanna really dog geek out you can get a giant white board like me so your goals are in your face everyday.