Devotional service is the only real wealth for a devotee of Krishna.
Devotee will always plan his life around his service and sadhana and will never compromise on these two.
Srila Prabhupad very much wanted his disciples to do lots of service but at the same time he would always remind them about the importance of strong sadhana.Those two always go hand in hand.
Over the years I observed many devotees passing through the temple and it would often happen that devotees who had issues with relationships, service and life in the temple didn’t have good sadhana. It would also often happen that devotees could not maintain their initiation vows because of the same reason,not having strong sadhana.
Once sadhana is not there then the sense of urgency in spiritual life is lost and everything is taken for granted.Moment that happens then devotional service can’t be performed in the right way and it becomes mixed with material motives.
Writing a daily journal and keeping a sadhana chart is something that helped me to maintain balance of sadhana and service in my spiritual life.
Writing the journal that only you can acces is a very powerful technique to become more conscious in life. It is also very useful for reflection and very helpful when it comes to digesting the knowledge and life experiences.
Keeping a sadhana chart I found very useful because it helped me monitor my sadhana and service. It gave me a chance to look back at my sadhana from previous months or years and compare it with the current situation.
Simply by writing down and recording our spiritual activities we automatically develop a feeling of responsibility for our spiritual life.Once a feeling of responsibility for our spiritual life manifests in our heart then spiritual advancement automatically happens because we become open for changes and adjustments that are needed for us to grow.
Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 1, 1969- “All students should be encouraged to write some article after reading Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita and Teachings of Lord Caitanya. They should realize the information, and they must present their assimilation in their own words. Otherwise, how can they become preachers?”
Ananta Gopal das
9.6.2020
Bhakti Wisdom 
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