The Power of Journalling

We live in a world that is constantly pulling at us. 

Notifications... Opinions... Algorithms... Everyone wants you to buy their merch, follow their framework or adopt their version of success. Very few want you to pause and ask a far more dangerous question: 

What do I actually want? 

Journalling is not about productivity hacks or pretty notebooks. It is about presence and being alone with yourself long enough to hear your own thoughts again.  

My Sunday Ritual 

For me, journalling is not abstract. It is scheduled. 

Around 8am on a Sunday morning, after the gym or a long dog walk, I sit down with my favourite coffee (a caramel latte!) and my notebook. That hour is non-negotiable. It is where I steady my mindset and protect my mental health.  

I use this time to reflect on the week prior, noting down what challenged me, and what I learned. I also like to consciously reset for the week ahead, always in the context of the wider goals and long-term vision.

The Importance of Putting Yourself First 

Journalling is a discipline. It requires you to put yourself first, deliberately. 

Not out of ego. But out of responsibility. 

You cannot lead a family, a business, or a vision if you are internally fragmented. You cannot pour from an empty cup. 

Putting yourself first allows you to become selfless in the ways that matter. More patient, more intentional and more grounded. 

The Constant River Beneath Complexity 

I have invested in businesses and management teams for over 25 years. Across multiple layers of commercial interests, structures and strategies, one principle has remained constant for me: long term thinking anchored to personal clarity. 

Shared value does not emerge from chaos. It emerges when leadership is clear on direction, values and destination. 

Journalling has always been the river running beneath everything else. Markets change. Models evolve. Personal principles should not. 

Stepping Away to See Further 

Alongside weekly journalling, I also build in thrice yearly ‘get away time’. 

Sometimes it is just me. Sometimes it is my wife and I together. 

A few days away from routine, with space to reflect on how far we have come and to reset the next steps of the masterplan. 

Those moments of perspective are invaluable. They reconnect progress with purpose and ensure that growth remains intentional, not accidental. 

Control the Controllables 

The discipline of journalling is not about obsessing over what you cannot control. It is about anchoring yourself to what you can. 

These could be things such as your values, standards, long-term direction or your response. When those are clear, the opinions of others lose their grip. 

Living Life Deliberately 

Journalling enables you to live life with purpose and intention.

Not reactively and not accidentally. It is not a trend, but a quiet, enduring practice used by those who choose depth over distraction and direction over noise. 

The most powerful conversations you will ever have are not on stage, on podcasts, or in boardrooms. 

They are the ones you have with yourself, in private, with a pen in your hand.