For many of us, a blank notebook can feel intimidating. For Klint Guerry, it became a lifeline—and eventually, a legacy.

On this week’s episode of What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast, Klint Guerry—executive coach, author, and creator of The Guerry Notebook and A Guide to Self-Disruption—sits down with Dr. Shine to share the extraordinary journey that led him to discover the transformative power of journaling. His story is proof that even in the midst of instability and uncertainty, the simple act of writing things down can bring clarity, confidence, and profound personal growth.

From Chaos to Clarity

Klint’s childhood was anything but traditional. Raised in an environment that lacked consistency and emotional stability, he learned early how to adapt and survive. But over time, survival wasn’t enough. He wanted to thrive, to lead, and to live with intention.

“I didn’t grow up with a plan,” Klint shares. “I was surrounded by chaos. I had to create my own structure.”

That structure, he eventually discovered, began with a notebook.

While Klint now coaches executives and oversees teams across industries, his grounding force remains his journaling practice. Through it, he developed a system that helps him reflect, plan, course-correct, and grow—one page at a time.

The Birth of The Guerry Notebook

What began as a personal discipline eventually grew into a formal framework. The Guerry Notebook is Klint’s custom journaling method—a daily structure designed to capture meaningful moments, track growth, and revisit the “why” behind the work.

“I built it for myself,” Klint says, “but when others saw the impact, they asked to learn it too.”

His system combines day-to-day reflection with quarterly reviews and annual vision planning. It’s a blend of tactical and emotional insight—balancing to-dos with gratitude, and long-term vision with short-term awareness. Most importantly, it helps people get out of autopilot and back into purpose.

Journaling as Self-Disruption

Klint doesn’t just journal for the sake of writing. He uses journaling as a tool for what he calls self-disruption—the process of intentionally interrupting your own patterns to uncover deeper truths and drive forward change.

It’s a theme that runs throughout his book A Guide to Self-Disruption, which he describes as “part reflection tool, part roadmap for reinvention.”

“In a world that constantly demands our attention, journaling is how I give it back to myself,” Klint says. “It’s how I stay aware, aligned, and anchored.”

He challenges us to think of journaling not as a recap of the day, but as a way to sharpen our thinking, make better decisions, and cultivate intentional growth.

The Magic of Reviewing Your Past

One of the more unique aspects of Klint’s journaling system is how he reviews his past entries on a regular basis—something many journalers skip entirely.

“We’re so focused on what’s next that we forget to learn from what’s already happened,” he explains.

Klint builds quarterly and annual review rhythms into his journaling process, using color-coded highlights to pull out key insights, missed lessons, and patterns worth paying attention to.

The result? A living, breathing archive of his personal evolution—and a tool that allows him to revisit his younger self with grace, gratitude, and sometimes, a good laugh.

“I get to see how far I’ve come,” Klint says. “That’s one of the most motivating things you can do.”

Building a Legacy

Now in his 40s, Klint is passionate about the legacy he’s building—not just in his leadership work, but in his family and community.

One of the most moving moments of the episode is when he talks about his son—and how he hopes that one day, his journals will help his son understand who his father really was. Not just the career highlights, but the messy middle. The doubts. The hopes. The reflections that shaped who he became.

“If I’m not around someday, I want my son to know what I cared about. What I was learning. What I struggled with. That’s why I write it all down.”

In a world that moves fast and forgets easily, Klint’s journaling practice is a profound act of remembering—and of honoring both the present moment and the future generations who may one day read it.

Journaling Isn’t About Perfection

If you’re someone who has started and stopped journaling a hundred times, take heart—Klint has too. And he’s the first to say that journaling doesn’t have to be perfect, polished, or even daily to matter.

“It’s not about filling a notebook in 30 days,” he says. “It’s about making the time to check in with yourself in a way that’s honest and sustainable.”

Some days, he writes a sentence. Other days, he fills pages. The key is to show up—and to keep showing up—because over time, those entries add up to something meaningful.

Start Where You Are

One of the most encouraging takeaways from Klint’s story is that you don’t have to have the perfect system or background to start journaling. You just have to begin.

“Start with one question,” he suggests. “What’s something I want to remember about today?”

That one question, answered consistently, can change your life.

A Final Word

At House of Shine, we believe that reflection leads to self-discovery—and self-discovery leads to impact. Klint Guerry’s story is a shining example of how personal growth, leadership, and legacy are all connected by a simple yet powerful practice: putting pen to paper.

If you’re ready to grow, disrupt your patterns, or just get more intentional about your day, this episode is a must-listen.

And who knows? That notebook you start today could become one of the most valuable things you ever create.

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🎧 Listen to Klint Guerry’s full episode of What’s Your Shine? The Happy Podcast

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Your favorite podcast network

📍 See his work featured in the GROW: Journalng Through The Seasons of Life exhibit at House of Shine in Grapevine, TX