Dear EFT Community,
EFT Master Pat Carrington recommends using an EFT tapping journal to track what you are working on and the outcomes. The journal notes work both as inspiration and a reminder to use EFT on everything.
-EFTUniverse
By Patricia Carrington PhD, EFT Master
One of the most effective ways to increase the value of EFT in your life is to have what I call an “EFT journal.”
If you’re willing to take the few simple steps required to start one, it can make a substantial difference in the way in which EFT impacts you.
One of the values of such a journal is the manner in which it reminds you of the benefits you have already gained from EFT. It is incredibly easy to remember only those times when you may have used EFT ineffectively or incompletely for a certain issue.
This is no criticism of you —— we have been hardwired to be alert to danger and to notice difficulties so that we can adapt sufficiently to survive as a species. Doing that is a very good thing when necessary.
What we forget, however, is that it is equally important to recognize our successes, the things that go right in our lives, and this is something that to which most people pay far too little attention.
An EFT tapping journal can be as simple as a three column ledger notebook obtainable in any stationery store, or it can be as elaborate and personally inspirational as those elegant “personal journals” with hard covers, fine quality paper and spiral binding that you see displayed in top-rated book stores.
The kind of physical journal notebook you choose will reflect your personal preference. Some people delight in journal writing while others don’t take to it at all but would not mind jotting down some bare facts in a ledger. Choose what is most compatible to you.
The major use of your tapping journal.
Your tapping journal is basically a place where you can write down the situations that you used EFT for that day, the EFT statements used to handle them, and any benefits you gained from applying EFT in each instance.
If you are detail oriented, you may find it valuable to record your initial intensity rating on a 0 to 10 point scale and your final intensity rating on that same scale after using EFT. However, this is not a necessity, and if it feels too cumbersome, then by all means omit that step.
It is especially important that you write down the gains you have made from doing EFT before they fade from your mind. These gains will fade very quickly if you do not do this.
What is so beneficial about a journal is that later, at times when you might feel discouraged or doubt that you can ever solve your problems, reviewing your gains from past EFT sessions can be an instant mood boost and a great incentive to continue with your use of EFT.
One more word about the practical considerations involved in keeping an EFT journal. It can be very helpful to also keep a small spiral notebook in your purse or back pocket, or else use some index cards to jot down information about your use of EFT right on the spot as it occurs. You can then transfer this information to your journal at home at the end of the day.
In order for you to see how this works out in practice, below is a typical day’s entry in an EFT journal, written by an imagined EFT’er, “Penny”, in her daily journal —
SITUATION: Joe home from office early. Grouchy, a pain in the neck.
EFT STATEMENT: Even though Joe is grouchy, I choose to feel happy today.
EFT BENEFIT (i.e. the result of her tapping): I eased up. Could get on with preparing dinner. He was friendly later on fight avoided.
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SITUATION: Kids were late for supper. Cathy didn’t arrive at all. I had cooked too much steak by mistake.
EFT STATEMENT: Even though I’m mad at the kids, I choose to enjoy the steak and use the leftovers in a great way!
EFT BENEFIT: Joe and I had a good meal together. I figures out how to make a casserole tomorrow with the rest of the steak.
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SITUATION: Blanche phoned to gripe about Ted’s :bad behavior”. A bore.
EFT STATEMENT: Even though Blanche can be annoying, I choose to have a great day doing my own thing.
EFT BENEFIT: The whole thing lifted. I was able to tell her nicely that Ted has his side too and I think she got the message. I may even have helped her.
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SITUATION: Dishwasher jammed. Someone had dropped a spoon in the bottom and it had caught in the machinery. Couldn’t get the machine apart.
EFT STATEMENT: Even though things never work right, I choose to notice the things that are really working great.
EFT BENEFIT: I felt fine. So what if it’s stuck? I don’t need those dishes until tomorrow anyway.
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You can see that the entries above are rather detailed, you may prefer to be more brief, or you may like this kind of expressive notation. Use your own personal style.
You will be surprised at how valuable your journal entires can be when you review them a week, a month, or several months from now. Not only will the journal give you ideas for EFT statements that can prove effective under other circumstances, but they will remind you of the value of EFT.
This is a really great way of exercising the hidden power of EFT and getting the most from it.
