a few weak excuses for putting off a tedious assignment, but when you have to record these same excuses on paper their foolishness is exposed. You can no longer get away with lame rationalizations. This is especially true if you continue to delay the same task day after day. After seeing all of those excuses pile up in your journal, there will be no escape from reality: You are being lazy! Your ego won't like this truth, so it will kick-start your motivation in an effort to avoid it.
The journal, in this way, acts like a personal drill sergeant, sitting on your shoulder and yelling into your ear: "Soldier, I want you to go get me a pillow, because I know I must be dreaming. I thought I just saw you consider not starting your paper this afternoon, and I knnnoooowwwwyou wouldn't try to pull that crap with me standing right next to you! Nowgo grab your notes and get workin' before I make you record your laziness in ink where everyone can see it!"
Many students, myself included, don't keep a journal all the time, but use it to help them get through unusually busy periods. For example, my work progress journal was a key force in getting me through my senior fall semester, which involved classes, grad school applications, and the writing of my first book. Others have had great success with the journal to keep focused on their LSAT preparation while juggling the demands of
regular class work. Some students go so far as to use
