The definition of journaling is the practice of keeping a record or diary, in order to express one’s thoughts.
Whether you want to just simply keep track of your day or reflect on everything, journaling has helped countless people to deal with their feelings, anxiety and other mental health concerns.
Here in Miami, ever since COVID-19 locked many away at home and brought forth various issues, journal / agenda companies have seen a huge increase in sales. One such company is The Christian Planner, which not only brings forth an amazing product to keep track of your day, but also gives people motivational quotes from the Bible to help them relate / make them think about their actions in a healthy manner.
Victor Delacruz, the creator of The Christian Planner started this company / product after serving for years in the United States military and going through his own anxiety, depression and other mental health issues afterwards. Victor created the Christian Planner as a way to schedule time with God in his own routine and through that he quickly realized that including Christ in his daily goal-setting, planning and journaling routine made him more productive, more focused and less prone to stress and anxiety. It wasn’t long before his product took off and people here in Miami and across Florida and the rest of the US purchased journals.
With his journals helping people each day and through the pandemic and life today, we caught up with Victor for a conversation about all.
- Why do you believe that journaling is so important?
As a survivor of a traumatic brain injury and abuse encountered in my early childhood, I’ve had to journal rigorously my entire life just to stay balanced. Years of this practice has helped me heal and explore my internal creativity, psychology, and spirituality. And as a practicing Christian, I realized there wasn’t a planner that helped Christians stay in rhythm with their Faith, so I published this planner. I had no idea it would be so successful!
- How did starting Christian Planner and your own trials/errors with journaling help you personally in your journey as a military veteran, entrepreneur and father/husband?
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, and one of the toughest challenges that I’ve ever faced in life. You can’t just absorb all the external stressors, you have to put ’em somewhere. Otherwise, you become a hazard to yourself and those around you. Journaling is just one way to deload the stressors and the noise in your head in a healthy way. There are many other things that I do to stay functioning at a healthy level. Practicing and training my Christian spirituality, neurofeedback, jungian therapy, vacations, float tanks, the list goes on! The cool thing is, as you keep at it you continue to level up. The key thing is to not give up or self-destruct!
- How long after you started journaling did you start to recognize your own triggers and start beginning to control your own symptoms with anxiety (and other health-related items)?
As I stated before, journaling is one way to bring internal awareness. Hitting rock bottom is another. Communicating with your spouse, with God, with friends and therapists are other ways to bring that awareness of self to light. And I’m still a work in progress! However and whenever you are able to become aware of your mess, can you really start to address the issues.
- By bringing together faith and journaling, you have done remarkable things. Why do you feel Christian Planner has been a leader in the industry today?
The Christian Planner™ is quite a heavy book, because each week there’s space for Sermon Notes and journaling. It’s like a gym for your Christian Faith. And when my wife and I created the product, the format just didn’t exist. We had no idea it would become so successful!
- While all your planners are with paper (stationary), will you be expanding through technology and devices in the future?
I think this is a given! To help Christians, from all denominations, live in the daily modern world is not just a mission closed off to planners!
- Your company has on its site, “God Confidence Over Self Confidence”… why is this motto something we can all take into our lives?
Because you can’t do it alone. To allow God to work through your life and give you the peace you can’t get from material things is why Christians stick around. Don’t get me wrong, YOU are a key player in this at all times, I think Christians forget that part. But I think if you find unity between YOURSELF, GOD, and YOUR NEIGHBOR is where the real harmony happens.
- What’s next for the Christian Planner?
We’re excited to create our own digital platform for our audience to connect, expand internationally, and partner with other companies to increase enterprise value and impact across the board.
