I've lost many battles against my compulsive behavior over the years leading me into shaky financial situations and dangerous dances with fate.

But I've learned how to act less impulsively and turn the tides in my favor by using journaling as a thinking tool.

For instance, a few months ago I made a decision to start budgeting my finances.

I was tired of seeing my money disappear as quickly as it hit my bank account so I made some changes. I calculated all of my personal and business expenses and created a budget for hobbies. I started logging every single transaction I made, even if it was only $1 going out of my pocket.

I learned a lot about myself once I get this granular with tracking and logging. Turns out I was spending way more than I'm comfortable disclosing on coffee and eating out.

It all started to make sense why I felt like there was a hole in my pocket.

And then there was the day to day struggle. A hard day's work would give me the room to convince myself that I "deserved" a reward. Or a sleepless night would lull me into thinking it wasn't a big deal to get one coffee.

The compulsion to rebel against my own rules and goals can be strong.

Lately my obsessions with leatherworking has been the biggest temptation. There are so many tools and supplies that would make my next project that much better. A recent flash sale on leather goods had me hovering over the "check out" button for hours.

I needed an emergency journaling session.

After 5 minutes of writing in my notebook, I closed the shop page, breathed a sigh of relief, and felt at ease letting the sale pass me by.

Now, I know I probably sound like a shopping addict right now but we all have these compulsions.

Maybe for you it's eating, or scrolling social media, or drinking which was my favorite bad habit for years. All of these behaviors stem from our natural allergy to discomfort.

So let's break down why this journaling system works for combatting some of these nasty impulses we all have waiting to lead us astray.

Goals frame decisions.

The fact that I have a goal to get on top of my spending frames every decision I make. Every action can be filtered through the question of, "Does this help me reach my goal or does it lead me further away from it?"

If you don't set a goal or make an active decision to change your behavior, then you don't have this filter. Without the filter, reactive states and passive behavior becomes the norm.

You will do what you've always done because there isn't an aspirational aim guiding you.

Tracking adds good friction.

If you want to change, start documenting what you're doing.

Tracking behavior puts the idealized person you think you are into the cold, hard light of reality.

I thought I was being financially responsible but, my spending logs gave me the dose of reality I needed. I was full of shit and now I had unrefutable proof that was the case.

But there's another benefit that's more subtle. If you know you have to write down what you're about to do, it adds a layer of friction that can be just enough to reconsider.

If spending $8 on leather dye means I have to physically write down the transaction, put it through my budget, and calculate my running totals, then I might hesitate to push that "buy now" button.

"Is this really worth the effort? "

Instead of an impuslive decision that gets swept under the rug, there are multiple friction points where I have to intentionally choose to work against my goals.

Writing facilitates clear thinking.

Most impulses and compulsions are an automatic response to alleviate discomfort.

It's hard to think clearly when you're anxious or stressed, even if it's from something minor like the FOMO I got watching a good deal pass me by.

But we can bypass our lizard brain and access the rational frontal lobe by writing.

For instance, these were the questions I asked myself during the emergency session that got me thinking clearly again:

• Is this spending in your budget?
• Do you "need" this right now or do you "want" it to alleviate your discomfort?
• Where will breaking your own rules take you over time?

The answers were clear and obvious once written down.

• No it wasn't in the budget.
• No I don't need this right now and yes, I am trying to alleviate discomfort.
• Breaking my rules will lead to me not reaching my goals.

Therefore, "I'm not going to buy anything."

Slowing down to ask yourself critical questions and being honest with yourself in writing can calm your nerves, clear the mental fog clouding your decisions, and give you clarity.

And that's the thing that gets missed often: It's not buying the thing or eating the cookie that makes you feel better; it's making a decision, any decision.

Because once a decision is made there is clarity.

Discomfort dissipates because the uncertainty is gone. You've made up your mind. There are no "what ifs" about it. You can move on with your life now.

The key is making decisions that align with your goals.

Personal Updates:

A few weeks ago I shared a botched leather notebook cover that now serves as my reminder of where I started in my leathercrafting journey. It acts as the cover that houses my Leathercrafting Skill Journal.

Since making that cover, I've made 8 more, all different designs, and learned a TON along the way.

This morning I finished my first A5 notebook cover and it turned out so much better than all of my earlier attempts.

What blows my mind is these two notebook cover projects were just 20 days apart!

I don't think this says anything special about me but rather the power of dedicating yourself to a goal, documenting what you're learning, and putting intense focus and energy into getting better at what you do.

So please let this be a signal to do that thing you've been wanting to do but, keep putting off.

You will likely fail and make a lot of mistakes just like I did.

But I promise you, if you keep plugging away, you will get to where you are trying to go.

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