5 Great Reasons to Keep a Journal

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Hi! Today I’m blogging about journaling. Do you have a journal already? Do you write in it? I ask those questions, because, for me, writing in the journal is sometimes the hardest part! The easy part is finding journals I want to buy. More about my favorites – why I love them – and where to find them – at the end of this post!

Why journal? The word “journal” comes from an old French word which meant “daily,” and so it is – a daily writing or record of happenings. But journaling has evolved from the old days of writing daily entries in a “diary.” Did you do that when you were a kid? I tried. I failed. Yep. Could not bring myself to write much. I thought what I wrote sounded stupid or just silly. And – guess what – I was nervous about putting stuff in writing because someone else might SEE it.

I recently talked with someone who taught journaling, and she told me that some of her students felt very self-conscious about writing in a journal because they didn’t want their thoughts open for others to see. These students wrote until they’d filled a journal, and then perhaps they re-read it, but then—they burned it! Problem eliminated. I suppose these folks kept it in a safe place, away from prying eyes, until the day of burning. Who knows? I’m not sure I’d want to give up my words to the fire, though, after I’d spent the time to put them down. I do think that could be an option, though, for those of us who are nervous or self-conscious writers…

Well. Let’s assume you think you might just want to start keeping a journal. It sounds like fun, right. So – why? What’s in it for you?

Here are a few good reasons to get started:

1. You’ll be in very good company. Many, many famous people have relied on journaling to clear their minds, focus their thoughts, set goals, try out new ideas without penalty – Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie (but your journal won’t be radioactive like hers!), Mark Twain, Frida Kahlo, and Henry David Thoreau, among many others.
2. Journaling – the act of setting down your thoughts, ideas, goals, plans – you name it – clears your mind and lets you focus in on what’s important. These days, our lives are chock full of distractions. We are drowning in information and sensory input – but journaling for 15 minutes (or even 5 minutes) a day in a quiet place can help restore peace and focus to your life.
3. Journaling relieves stress. And – who doesn’t have stress these days? I wish I could say I don’t, but I do – much more than I would like to have. Just writing things down takes them out of your head and lets you see them in a different perspective. It also lets you speak freely without worrying about someone judging you or offering advice when you aren’t ready for it. You can say what’s on your mind, what’s bothering you, what you would like to do, or wouldn’t like to do – and it’s only for you to see and read over when you feel like it.
4. Keeping a journal lets you learn about yourself and find ways to know and develop your strong points or improve weak areas. It’s funny – when you start thinking about writing things down, the first thing folks say is “Well, that’s nice, but I’m not a writer! I can’t even write a grocery list without messing up.” That might be what you think, but I promise – you’re going to find out more about yourself by writing about your day, your hopes, the things you think you’ve failed to do, the things that you did well, and where you’re going, all because you are writing it down. You’re going to see yourself in all your glory – and other people who are in your life, too – your mistakes will be there on the page, the great things you did, the small kindnesses you showed, and where you went right and where you went wrong. The quality of writing doesn’t matter. Not really. Nor does your spelling or your grammar. You don’t even have to write whole sentences if that’s not you. Your journal lets you get to know YOU.
5. Writing stuff down helps you remember. Think of it as a little exercise in memory. Writing words on paper helps you remember them. It jogs your memories of other events, too. Wish you’d seen that movie? Write that down, and you’ll remember to see it on video. Wish you’d remembered to call your old friend the last time you were in her town? Write it down – and maybe you’ll be inspired to give her a call or find her on social media and reconnect. What was that thing your dad always said? Can you remember? When you do, write it down. It will be yours forever—or for as long as you want to remember it!

Ready to start journaling? I think every journal should be special. You’re going to invest your time and put a piece of yourself on those pages. Here is a great journal to start with. I have this one, and I love it!

Even if I have almost no “free” time, I can squeeze out a few minutes to write “some lines.” I love looking back over my past entries and thinking about what happened, what I did, or (sometimes) what I might have done instead. It’s a perfect vehicle for assessing progress or meeting your goals. Or – it’s just fun to have something to look back on, without taking too much time out of our already busy days.

It’s called Some Lines a Day, and it’s an undated, 5-year journal that allows you about an inch or so of space for one day. What a great way to start out, with a comment about what you hope your day will be, or perhaps at day’s end, how it turned out! I’ll have more recommendations next time, too.

Journaling Inspiration

Sometimes it’s hard to get started. Yep – it happens. It happens to me more often than I’d like to admit! Maybe I’m a “reluctant writer” or just really can’t come up with something and yet I really, really want to put something down on paper. When that happens, I take a few minutes to get inspiration from some fantastic magazines or lists of super journaling prompts. I’ll be writing more about the magazines in my next article – their pages are full of ideas, inspiration, and photos, and I know you will love them as much as I do! I’ll also have a set of free daily prompts you can sign up for! Watch for the next piece in this series – with some great ideas and prompts, my best suggestions for inspiration, and a free gift from me, coming soon!

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