Today the world said “au revoir” to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. (That is until the Paralympics begin on August 28.)
Being the word nerd that I am, I not only celebrated the medals Team USA snagged in sports like basketball, track and field, gymnastics, and swimming, but I was also giddy that journaling was getting time to shine too!
Several Olympians shared before and during the games that journaling is part of their strategy for success.
Sunni Lee shared with NBC that she journals a lot before competitions. She writes about her goals, makes notes about her routines and technique, and jots down affirmations – affirmations that we saw her reciting to herself just before completing her medal-winning routine.
We saw Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers scribbling in her green journal after each jump. She told media that she uses her “little book of gold,” as she calls it, to rate and reflect on her technique, make note of things she needs to work on, and jot down technical advice. She includes bible verses and motivational quotes too.
“The notebook is my training diary and my sport psych and I came up with it to bring it into the competition just so I know which areas I did really well in and which areas I need to work on,” Olyslagers said, according to an article from the official Olympics website. “Once I write it down, it’s like as soon as it is on a piece of paper you don’t have to put it into your mind and can just think about other things.”
Related Reading: Write Like an Olympian
American heptathlete Anna Hall shared on social media some of the journal entries she wrote just moments before qualifying for her first Olympic Games at the 2024 US Trials.
From those pages, we see that Hall literally wrote her success into existence declaring:
“This is my event, my title, my spot. I’m gonna take it” and “Today I will become an Olympian.”
And she did!
What Writers Can Learn From Olympians Who Journal
As writers, we can journal our way to the clarity, confidence, and commitment that we need to make our writing dreams come true. What do you want for your writing life? Write the vision and make it plain!
If you face rejection or criticism, don’t get bitter, get better. Use your journal to work out what you need to improve and how you can do it.
Fill the pages with words that will help keep you going such as motivational quotes. Or break out your journal and write some affirmations to help you finish that book, start that blog or newsletter, or send that query letter or pitch.
Don’t think of journaling as something that’s taking away from your writing time. Journaling should be considered a part of your overall creative process. As writers, we can use our journaling practice to create a blueprint for our success.
Need some journaling inspiration? Check out The Writeous Babe Podcast on PodBean or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Yes! Hearing about the journaling practices of several of the Olympians during the Olympics was a highlight that had me cheering even more. Love this!!
I’m trying to create a daily habit of journaling in the morning. I used to use journaling to “dump” thoughts, but it felt like I was just dedicating time to complaining. And goodness knows I don’t need anymore of that!
This post about the Olympians gives me such inspiration to continue trying. With a focus on either affirmations or prompts, I can tell my inner complainer to just go back to bed while I write
I think it’s OK to let yourself complain in your journal. Just don’t get stuck there. After I have a complaining session, I then ask myself, “OK, what are you going to do about it?” This helps me move into positive action.