Regarding effective journaling, below is what worked for me that lead to unpacking my past,
1. Reflection -- Reflect on what happened today, the day before or in the past. There are no rules here. By reflecting on a conversation or a situation you can begin to unpack what happened, what went right/wrong, what was the lesson, how can I have done it differently. Once you unpack events, you'll begin to uncover areas in your life that explains why you are the way you are, your behaviors and habits.
2. Gratitude -- This will train the mind to look for what is going right, which leads to being grateful. No matter what is happening around you or what life is throwing at you, it's all about perspectives. Your brain has its own algorithm. Focusing on the good trains it to look at things differently. From a growth standpoint, you will start to see opportunities in situations, people and life.
3. Goals -- Allow yourself to dream with the lid off. Your goals may start out very big but then evolve to narrow realistic goals. Don't force it, it will happen naturally. This will lead to practical actionable steps to achieve a version of those goals.
My order changed from when I first started. Journaling was transformative in my journey to self discovery leading to self improvement. Unpacking your past will explain a lot of who you are and your behavioral habits.
