Discover how journaling can help you track your progress and achieve your goals! I’m going to show you tips, strategies, and benefits of maintaining a gaming journal to improve your gameplay and stay motivated.
Why you should journal:
- Tracking Progress:
- I am the first to admit that I am terrible at acknowledging my own accomplishments. After spending hours and hours of time gaming, especially on games with slow progress, it can seem like you have gotten nowhere and it is easy to get discouraged. Journaling will allow you to track your progress and look back at where you started so you can see how far you have come. Documenting your achievements will give you tangible proof that you are accomplishing the things you want to!
- Documenting what you have been up to allows you to identify areas of improvement. When you are playing the game it is much harder to pinpoint what needs to be improved as opposed to taking a step back to reflect and compare what you are doing to what your goals are.
- Setting and Achieving Goals:
- Studies show that people who set goals are around 40% more likely to achieve them. That’s huge! Writing them down is super important as well as reviewing them often.
- My favorite way to set goals that I will actually achieve is following the S.M.A.R.T. method. S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Here is an example:
- Specific: I will achieve the rank of Diamond in Valorant by consistently improving my aim, game sense, and teamwork skills.
- Measurable: I will track my progress by monitoring my rank changes and performance stats using tools like Valorant Tracker. I will aim for a gradual increase in win rate and K/D ratio.
- Achievable: I will dedicate at least 8 hours per week to playing Valorant, focusing on specific areas of improvement like aim training, watching tutorials, and practicing with a team.
- Relevant: This goal is relevant to me because I am passionate about Valorant, enjoy competitive gaming, and want to challenge myself to reach higher ranks.
- Time-bound: I will accomplish this goal with a deadline to achieve the Diamond rank within 4 months, allowing myself enough time to practice, learn from my games, and steadily climb the ranks.
- Staying Motivated and Focused:
- Using a journal can help you stay motivated during challenging times. When it comes to competitive gameplay, losses and setbacks can be extremely discouraging. Having a place where you can celebrate small victories and milestones as well as visually see your progress and goals can help get through these times.
Getting Started with Your Gaming Journal:
- Choosing the Right Journal:
- Okay, now that we know how important and impactful journals can be, where are we creating one? There are tons of different types of journals and planners out there. First, decide if you want a physical or digital journal. I have a physical personal journal but for gaming I keep a digital one using Notion. It’s nice to keep it digital because I can take screenshots of my achievements, link helpful Youtube videos, include a list of my favorite streamers to watch, link my aim training tasks, and so much more.
- Setting Up Your Journal:
- Start by creating sections for different types of entries. I suggest having pages for:
- your login information: most games remember you and log you in but sometimes during updates it makes you log back in and after not typing it in for a while I often forget my info. I have a section where I keep mine documented.
- each game: including your ranks over time, general notes, links to vods, your game specific accomplishments, warm-up routines, post-game routines, improvement plan etc.
- helpful or entertaining things to watch (we are supposed to be having fun after all)
- aim training tracker
- habit tracker
- goals
- and so many more… the best thing about a journal is it is specific to you. It can include anything you enjoy, want to document, or keep track of.
- Start by creating sections for different types of entries. I suggest having pages for:
- Personalizing Your Journal:
- Add aesthetic images, decorations, stickers, and drawings. I find tons of inspiration on Pinterest and well as images on websites like Unsplash and Pexels.
- Make it a reflection of your gaming personality! Maybe you are a cozy gamer keeping track of your achievements. Include images and characters from your game. Maybe you are a super sharp sniper in an fps. Include images and iconography that is clean and sharp like you.
Want a template created with everything we have already talked about? Head to our Etsy Shop here for the perfect Notion template to help you get started. It is super simple to use so you can start tracking everything right away! All images in this post feature a sneak peak of our template.
Tips for Consistent Journaling:
- Making Journaling a Daily Habit:
- Set aside time each day for journaling. I have the reminders widget on my phone and have it remind me to update everything. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes really fun to fill everything out and have documentation of everything.
- Reviewing and Reflecting:
- Regularly review your journal entries to check, keep track of, and update your journal.
- Reflect on your progress and here is the big one: adjust your goals. As you accomplish your goals, get ready to set new ones to take their place and don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments!
Journaling can be an absolute game-changer especially for the girls looking to track their progress and achieve their goals. By incorporating these tips and strategies to create the best gaming journal and routine, you’re more likely to stay motivated, organized, and ready to conquer any gaming challenge that comes your way. I hope these tips help you accomplish every goal you set out to complete!