“Dear Diary, Today I Nailed My Turnout…” - Journalling For Irish Dancers

If you’re an Irish dancer, you’ll know that progress doesn’t always feel like a straight line. Some days you fly, other days your legs feel like lead weights. That’s where a Dancer’s journal can become your best friend. Journaling is not just about writing down steps or corrections - it’s about training your mindset, tracking your progress, and boosting your positivity every single day.

And the best part? With the right approach, your journal can become a tool that positively rewires how you think about your dancing and yourself as an individual. 

Why NLP in Journaling?

NLP is all about how our thoughts, language, and behaviours shape the results we get. By learning to reframe challenges, celebrate wins, and set clear outcomes, you can train your brain to work with you instead of against you.

Our Mindset Coach Annabelle is a qualified NLP Coach and Practitioner, which means she has the knowledge to help guide you through your mindset journey, as well as the experience of being a professional and competitive Irish Dancer. 

That’s why in the MWM Gold Club ✨, our mindset classes are full of NLP-inspired teachings to help you think like a champion.

If you’d like more personalised support, our mindset coach Annabelle works 1-1 with dancers on a weekly or monthly basis to go even deeper.

Journal Ideas for Dancers

Here are some fun and practical prompts to get you started:

1. Daily Wins List

Every class, Feis or practice session, write down at least three small wins. This could be “performed better in dance class,” “remembered to pull my shoulders back,” or “got through stamina without stopping.” NLP teaches us that where attention goes, energy flows — so focusing on wins creates motivation.

2. Reframe the Challenge

Instead of writing “I can’t keep my kicks high,” try writing:
👉 “I’m learning to keep my kicks higher by strengthening my hip flexors.”
This simple language shift turns frustration into progress.

3. Future Pacing

Visualise and write about how you want to feel at your next feis or performance. Example:
👉 “I step on stage calm, powerful, and proud of my training.”
This trains your brain to expect success and teaches you to focus on what you want, not what you don’t want.

4. Anchoring Positivity

Choose a memory where you felt unstoppable dancing. Write down the details - the music, the stage, the people who are there, what the room looks and smells like, the feeling. Each time you read it, you strengthen that anchor and make it easier to step back into that state.

5. Monthly Reflections

At the end of each month, look back and ask:

• What did I improve?
• What could I do better?
  
• What mindset tool helped me most?
  
• What’s one focus for next month? 

This builds consistency and clarity.

How This Links to Your Growth

Your dancer’s journal isn’t just a notebook — it’s a map of your progress and your mindset. Combined with structured mindset coaching, it’s one of the most powerful ways to track how far you’ve come.

• Want structured guidance? Join our Gold Club Mindset Classes.
  
  
• Want 1-1 support? Book with Annabelle, our mindset coach (weekly or monthly options available). 
  
  

✨ Start journalling today, and you’ll soon see that every step — no matter how small — adds up to massive growth.