The Top Three Things I Have Learned from Performance Journaling

I was asked to write about what I have learned from keeping a Performance Journal - this is that.

I have been keeping a Performance Journal for about eight months now. I have never been someone who journals, but I am finding real value in it. I am also learning that consistency is key, just as it is with almost anything worth doing.

My Performance Journal has primarily centered on pistol shooting, training and competition. More recently, it has begun to include other areas of my life, particularly fitness and mental management. My goal is to eventually journal consistently about everything I am working to improve, whether that is shooting, fitness, self-defense training, building cigar box guitars or wood carving.

I am not there yet, but it is like me to keep working until I am.

Here are the three most important things I have learned.

1. I am harder on myself than I realized.

My journal revealed far more negative self-talk than I expected. Some would argue that there should not be any, and I am beginning to understand why.

Recognizing this pattern led me to Mental Management and Lanny Bassham’s book, With Winning in Mind, which I have now read about five times. I am learning that what I think, say and write directly shapes my self-image, and my self-image directly affects my performance.

I have also learned the power of affirmations. If I believe something, say it and write it often enough, it begins to become true, whether it is something I want or not. That makes the words I use about myself matter.

I am learning to move on from the failed attempt, the one bad shot or the repetition I could not complete. Those moments are information. They give me something to learn from, but they do not define me.

You do not learn much by standing on the summit of Mount Everest. You learn from the climb.

2. Consistency is key.

According to the Big Five personality assessment, Openness is by far my strongest trait. That serves me well because I am naturally drawn toward the ambiguous and unknown. I enjoy learning, exploring and solving the next big problem.

The downside is that I can become interested in the next challenge before I have finished the one already in front of me.

My Performance Journal makes that pattern visible. It helps keep my goals in front of me and forces me to think about my own journey, not just the next interesting thing I want to explore.

As I become more consistent with journaling, my goals become clearer, my affirmations become more meaningful and my efforts become less chaotic and more purposeful.

One of my goals for the rest of 2026 is to become much more consistent in tracking my performance. I still have a long way to go, but it is like me to remain diligent and develop the consistency I want.

3. I still have a lot to learn.

Experience alone does not always win. Sometimes we need outside input. We need someone to help us think through the journey. Sometimes simply writing it down provides enough distance to see what is really happening.

One of the biggest things I am still learning is focus. I need to remain focused on a few important goals instead of trying to pursue everything rattling around in my head. There are a lot of things rattling around in there.

It is easy for me to take on one more project, then another and another; I don’t necessarily abandon anything, I simply take on so much that I never give myself the time and attention required to truly master something.

Performance Journaling has helped me recognize that pattern. When I look back through my journal, I can see where my attention moved from one pursuit to another. That awareness gives me the opportunity to make better decisions about where I invest my time and energy.

It is like me to learn these lessons and apply them to my life.

Every day you wake up with the ability to change your life.

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The Top Three Things I Have Learned from Performance Journaling