“Keeping a personal journal or a daily in-depth analysis and evaluation of your experiences, is a high-leverage activity that increases self-awareness and enhances all the endowments and the synergy among them.” — Stephen R.Covey

I have been journaling daily for about two years now and I can honestly say that it is the most potent and powerful habit you can acquire. When done correctly, it provides you with accountability so you can show up better in all areas in your life. Journaling has helped me become a better parent, a more effective entrepreneur and a better endurance athlete.

If you asked me a couple years ago if I was a creative person, the answer would have been a resounding no. But if you ask me now, the answer is almost always a yes. Daily journaling has allowed me to optimize my creative potential in ways that no other outlet has enabled me to do.

My morning routine is as follows…I wake up at 2:30am, brush my teeth and get ready for my run and other forms of physical training. Before I begin training, I meditate in my car for about 15 minutes, train for 3-4 hours, come home– shower, meditate again and then write in my journal. I prefer to journal in the morning because it allows me to stay connected to my subconscious mind. What do I mean? Well, while we’re asleep, our subconscious minds are always at work—problem-solving, learning, plotting— all for our benefit. My free moments after my workout are spent trying to utilize any subconscious breakthroughs or creative bursts that I might have. I find that these breakthroughs are often more enhanced after I train.

Journaling also allows us to hone in on our life vision and goals so they can become our physical reality. It can provide us with mental clarity when we are trying to work through issues that arise in our lives and improves our ability to make decisions–large or small.

Scientific evidence conducted at the University of Texas supports that journaling provides other unexpected benefits. The act of writing accesses your left brain, which is analytical and rational. While your left brain is occupied, your right brain is free to create, intuit and feel. This explains why many people, including myself, often report feeling very creative when journaling.

In sum, journaling is powerful. It removes mental blocks and allows you to use all of your brainpower to better understand yourself, others and the world around you.