Keeping a Journal
By Ali Hale
Have you ever started keeping a journal – perhaps starting on a particular milestone like your birthday, or January 1st – only to give up after a few days or weeks? Like many projects which we’re initially enthusiastic about, writing daily or even weekly in a journal can all too quickly become a chore. After all, what difference can it make to write down words that no-one but you will see?
There are several ways for keeping a journal to change your life, and I’ll show you how to achieve each in just ten minutes a day. Still think it’s not worth it?
1. Your Journal Offers Self-Insight
Do you ever wonder who you really are? Do you have problems which occur again and again – patterns of behaviour that you just can’t break out of? Keeping a journal for an extended period of time lets you learn the truth about yourself: how your motivation waxes and wanes, how many projects you let fizzle out after a brief burst of excitement; what topics you return to again, and again, and again…
Ten-minute exercise:
If you’ve been keeping a journal for a while (even if it’s fallen by the wayside recently), read through some old entries. Do you spot any patterns? Look for strong emotions that occur frequently, such as anger, misery, excitement. You might also take note of recurring problems or difficulties. For example, do entries about lack of sleep coincide with stressful periods such as exams or project deadlines at work?
2. Your Journal Builds the Writing Habit
Are you an aspiring blogger, author, poet, journalist or writer of any description? If you’re making serious attempts at writing, you need to be disciplined about it – no professional writer works just when they’re “in the mood” or when “the muse descends.” Developing the habit of writing regularly (ideally every day) will be a bigger factor in your success than your raw level of writing skill. You will get better if you practice, and your journal is an ideal place to do so – no-one will laugh at clumsy phrases or failed experimental pieces, and you can write about whatever topics inspire you the most.
You can even write about your writing; building the ability to think about how you write will give you insight into your strengths and weaknesses. Being able to explain how and why a piece of your writing worked will let you replicate that achievement in the future.
Ten-minute exercise:
Set aside a period of ten minutes to write a journal entry every day. Even when you don’t think you have anything interesting to say, honour that commitment and write something. Some people are inspired by writing prompts, famous quotations, or simply picking a topic (work, family, health, goals). Even the busiest of us can find ten minutes in the day – set your alarm earlier, if you have to. It’s worth the effort: a hundred and fifty words a day – easily possible in ten minutes – adds up to over fifty thousand words in a year. Once you’ve built up your journaling like this, you’ll find it much easier to work on your other pieces
of writing.
3. Your Journal is a Gift to Your Future Self
Did you keep a journal at any point as a child or teenager? If so, and if you still have it, go back and re-read some entries: I guarantee that you’ll have a few great laughs and smiles in doing so. There might be references to incidents you’d previously forgotten, or particularly telling phrases or observations. Keeping a journal today means you can look back in five years, ten years or in old age at what you were thinking about, dreaming of, hoping for … it’s the closest you can get to time-travelling back to meet a past version of yourself.
Ten-minute exercise:
EITHER: Pick up one of your old journals and flick through it. What stands out? Are there incidents described that you’d forgotten? Have your views on a particular issue or topic changed radically?
OR: If you’ve never kept a journal in the past, use a page of your current one to write a letter to yourself in the future. Jot down some thoughts about the main strands of your life – are you happy with your job, your relationships, your health and fitness? Write down where you see yourself in a year, and in five years.
4. Your Journal Holds You Accountable
Many people like to record facts and figures in their journal, especially ones which relate to an important life change. Calories consumed, exercise done, cigarettes not smoked, alcohol units drunk … whatever the nature of your change, your journal can help you to achieve it. Seeing your progress in black and white helps you to carry on when your motivation is at rock-bottom, and for some people, the knowledge that they’ll have to record their failures is enough to keep them on the straight-and-narrow.
Ten-minute exercise:
Pick an area of your life where you want to improve: perhaps you want to get up early every day. For the next week, write down how you did each day – it’ll only take a minute or two, and you’ll be able to see if you progress as the week goes on – or if your enthusiasm quickly peters out.
5. Your Journal Encourages Positive Thinking
When you write in your journal, don’t dwell on things that went wrong. Focus on the positive aspects of your day or week – even when you have to dig hard to find something. It might take a while for you to notice the effect, but you’ll soon be seeing faster change in your life: we tend to move towards what we’re focusing on. Time coach Mark Forster advocates writing a daily “What’s better” list, recording the things which were not just good but better – this is a powerful way to focus on growth.
Ten-minute exercise:
If you’re reading this in the evening, how do you feel your day went? (Morning readers – use yesterday.) Chances are, you can think of lots of frustrations, things that went wrong, things that didn’t get done. Get your journal and write “Things which were good today”. List at least five. They don’t have to be big things – something as simple as “I saw a beautiful sunset” or “I left work on time” are fine. Now how do you feel about your day?
About the author: Written by Ali, a writer and website creator (www.aliventures.com).
Images by Barnaby and Windy Angels.
You might also like:
- Change in Your Pocket: How a Video Journal Can Help You Grow
- A New Take on Work-Life Balance
- 15 Simple Ways to Get a Bit More From Life
Peter recommends:
Learn how I found happiness and meaning and how you can too. Get your FREE copy of my e-book by signing up.
44 Comments
July 16th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I think there are a couple of other elements that you have to use to make writing a journal useful for life change.
1. Be totally honest. Don’t let fear stop you from writing something down, code it if you want be still write it down.
2. Write down thoughts and feelings – not just events. These are the real indicators of what happened in your day.
3. Review very regularly and make note of key areas that repeat and need to change
Jarrod – Warrior Developments last blog post..Life Change is Hard Work
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July 16th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I’ve written millions of words in my journal, but I seldom read them afterwards. I used them more as morning pages, a way of talking to my best friend, of encouraging myself. I don’t do it much any more…talking aloud to myself seems to work, too. And, of course, I write weekly posts for each of my blogs.
Why do it? When I write I never feel lonely. Writing is empowering.
Jean Browman–Transforming Stresss last blog post..What I Learned About Learning…From a Rafting Trip
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July 16th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I normally spend about 30 minutes writing my past 24 hours of events, thoughts, feelings etc and reflect on it next day. I also make some recommendations based on these thoughts – Long tern and short term recommendations for the personal improvement.
Shilpan
Shilpan | successsoul.coms last blog post..Warren Buffett’s 7 Secrets for Living a Happy and Simple Life
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July 16th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I’m maintaining a journal based on my own emotional and spiritual healing. It helps me keep track of my growth.
I strongly agree with writing journals! I’ve been encouraging my kids to start writing theirs.
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Maps last blog post..Guest Post: 7 Steps To Positive Self Talk
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July 16th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
I don’t keep a journal…maybe I should. And not that your recommendations lack significance and the ability to be impacting (I certainly see the ability to inspire change). It’s just that at present I lack the motivation to just do it.
I do however keep a thorough record of my days and time spent. I have a Daily Planner that I use to plan my day (in fifteen minute increments; how’s that for thorough?). I’ve been doing this for some time now. And lately I’ve been holding myself accountable to meeting my goals. If I have something on calendar and I accomplish that task, I put a green check mark. If I don’t, I put an X. My goal is to have a week full of green check marks. Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve seen a positive progression towards more and more green marks than red X’s. I’ve come to hold myself accountable and discipline myself. Without this little planner of mine, I’d probably be a little lost in terms of my day and life for that matter.
Ricardo Buenos last blog post..Be Consistently Interesting
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July 17th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Dugg and Stumbled! Simply fantactic!
I love the way blogging has this same kind of effect.
Marc and Angel Hack Lifes last blog post..28 Unique Bits of Financial Brilliance
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July 17th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I find writing to be a function of thinking and learning at the same time. As I write, my existing thoughts are clarified and new thoughts find their way into my mind that would not have materialized otherwise.
I believe our being is unfolded through the communication of our thoughts on paper, blog, or whatever medium works best for the individual.
Writing is also a wonderful way to make sense of the world outside of ourselves…
“I write to keep from going mad from the contradictions I find among mankind – and to work some of those contradictions out for myself.” ~ Michel de Montaigne
Thanks for the post…
Kent
The Financial Philosophers last blog post..Delusion, ‘Non-Bottom Callers’ & The Afflictions of the Investor’s Mind
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July 17th, 2008 at 7:34 am
In the past I have tried to start the habit of writing in a private journal on a few occasions because I love the idea of being able to go back and read my thoughts, ideas and generally just the things my family and I got up to. However, I admit that after a few weeks or months my motivation for keeping such a journal has waned and I have stopped.
It’s funny then that blogging has become a passion of mine. In terms of the benefits you have listed of a private journal, I would say blogging offers all these for me and more. Many of my articles relate to personal experiences, so re-reading them tends to bring back a flood of past thoughts and memories. What I feel I am missing out on, though, is keeping track of those everyday events, in particular in regards to my two boys.
Thanks for the post Ali! I may just go out and buy myself a journal….
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July 17th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I started writing a journal as a way to keep track of what I was doing when I moved to Taipei to study Chinese. Now it’s been a little over a year and it’s a habit. If i miss a day or two, I’ll be sure to go back and fill it in.
Though writing with a pen in a journal is a more intimate touch, I find just typing on the computer to be much faster. I have a journal program on my Mac. My journal consists of what I did during the day and sometimes thoughts. It’s a way in the future, to go back and see what I was doing during that time. Sometimes when I read an old entry, I can feel like I’m back re-living that day.
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July 17th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Like Peter, I’ve tried keeping a journal so many times, and usually lost interest after a week. I didn’t find my inner writer until I actually started writing articles for my business.
Blogging is my way to turning my personal experiences into the lessons I need to learn – but in a shared way, which somehow seems to unlock my understanding far better than writing for myself.
As for keeping track of events with my little daughter, I scrapbook – which, I suppose, is a form of journaling, too!
Blessings,
Andrea
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July 17th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I think that’s a good point, Jean … I don’t re-read everything I write, and certainly find that the act of writing itself is a large part of the value.
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July 17th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Hi Ricardo,
It sounds to me like you *are* keeping a journal! I think that sort of accountability log is incredibly valuable — I kept a food diary several years ago when I successfully managed to lose 50 lbs and reach my target weight. Writing pages and pages in a journal isn’t for everyone … your method sounds like it’s working ideally for you.
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July 17th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Keeping a journal while your boys are young could give you something fantastic to show them in the future! How about a scrapbook where you could include photos, jottings about outings and special occasions, locks of hair, the first scribblings they do in crayon, the letters they bring home from school..?
I agree that blogs offer a lot of benefits, but they aren’t something you can hold in your hand or stash in the attic for the future. And it’s hard not to self-censor, at least a bit, on a blog.
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July 17th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
@Ali: Thank you for the positive reinforcement! I think I’ve managed to be somewhat successful because I’ve tackled my goals day-by-day. Sometimes, small incremental changes and progress is the best strategy for effecting change.
Ricardo Buenos last blog post.."We All Make Our Own Sandwiches"
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July 17th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Thanks Ali,
I always though about keep a journal but never did take time to do it. After reading your
blog and reading the comments of others I will start keeping one. It is a good way to
keep track of your day and your life. Thanks for helping me to make another change in
my life.
Eugene
Eugene Williamss last blog post..Just Say “No” to Depression!
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July 18th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I really like #4 – being accountable. This is great. And like what Marc and Angel said about blogging doing this too for you. Blogging can be like an online journal if you want it to be.
I need to start doing this.
Lances last blog post..Defeat
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July 18th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
nice list.
pareshs last blog post..Life With My Special Ks: Q&A #13 – Surgery questions part 3#links
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July 20th, 2008 at 3:17 am
I find that journaling keeps me focused on taking action towards personal and professional goals. I jot down the things that have moved me closer to success. Great article!
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July 20th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I really like:
Your Journal is a Gift to Your Future Self
It always takes me back years and years when I read all of my dreams from back then…and then apply them to the woman I am today.
Best wishes, Barbara
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coachs last blog post..A friend is ALWAYS a priceless gem and you’re never too old for more
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July 21st, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I have been journaling since I was in the 6th grade. It is amazing for me to re-read some of my childhood entries as adults. It brings back the memories sharper than a photograph. And it does makes me smile because what I used to think was the end of the world is really no big deal. Maybe it might help when I have a child to raise in understanding how they are feeling at certain situations.
asithis last blog post..Behaviors that Intensify Feelings of Deprivation
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July 28th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I love this article. I feel as though journals are testimonies of ourselves at a given time, almost like a photograph but of our life. I look back on journals I kept when I was about 8 years old and just laugh. It is important to have personal dialogue with yourself and it helps to work out your innermost thoughts.
Great site!
Barbara
Barbaras last blog post..Boost, Build, and Protect Your Brain Power
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August 22nd, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I keep a journal to release my feelings, just like telling a friend what is going on, or confessing your sins to a priest, or just to blow off some fumes and rationalize your emotions to yourself. It has helped me keep my sanity, and accept myself better.
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September 2nd, 2008 at 1:11 am
Ali, I’ve kept a journal for years and occasionally (usually while packing to move house) I will flip through those pages. You are right, they contain such valuable information. Best friend, companion of your days, secret keeper, dream keeper, goal creation tool… whatever you use them for they are so precious we should include them in our household insurance inventory! Learning How To Journal was the most difficult process for me and because of that I’ve created a blog, please visit if you need some inspiration or motivation.
Cate Fergusons last blog post..Is keeping a journal good for you?
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September 19th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I read this article a few months ago, and it struck a chord with me. I finally decided that keeping a journal might have a purpose beyond self-indulgence. . . I had always felt that when I kept a journal, I was emphasizing the mundane in my own life, and started disagreeing with what I was writing even as it was being written. I felt the need to outline every event, and the sheer volume devoted to history telling was boring me and didn’t turn out to be reflective of the real experience. And of course, when a journal entry doesn’t feel authentic, what’s the point?
Your article allowed me to see journaling in a different way. I started keeping a journal with a defined purpose–keeping me accountable to the major goals in my life, and I LOVE IT. I’m addicted. At the end of every entry, I now add a list of goals that I’ve pursued today with specific examples from my day and what goals I intend to work on later. I keep an index card in there as a book mark reminding me of the major goals I have (kind of life areas that I’m working toward). . . and it allows me to do a run down on what I have really accomplished today. . . and what my intentions are for tomorrow. I’m also a follower of GTD, but this allows my reflection on my projects and my life goals on a daily basis, as well as time to readjust focus rather than allow the mundane stuff to take over. . .
Can’t thank you enough for writing this thoughtful article!
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March 28th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo
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April 27th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
My journals date back 20 years. They contain a record of my journey from a 30-year-old wife and stay-home mom to a divorced empty-nester. Each one is different. Some are leather-bound volumes from Barnes-Noble; others are spiral notebooks from the Dollar Store. Some entries spill over with raw emotion and others are so precisely written that they resemble a school report.
I sometimes choose a journal at random and look through it to see where I was on this date years ago. I had to laugh when I read a lengthy rant from 1998 concerning a colleague’s “act of treason” against me. I couldn’t remember what it was all about. Other entries are very precious to me because they detail my daughter’s childhood.
In one journal, I found a loose sheet of paper detailing a very upsetting situation at work. That was 15 years and several jobs ago. I can’t believe now that I wasted so much precious time and energy worrying about something I had no control over.
Often, my journal is a substitute for confiding in friends. While my friends care about me, they also expect me to make the necessary choices to get on with my life after a crisis. But my journal has no such expectations. I can rant, rave, and repeat myself a dozen times if I want to.
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May 27th, 2009 at 10:48 am
I myself have been keeping journals since I was nine years of age and find it verry helpfull expecially on those “not so nice days“ When you have somthing that you cant or wont tell anyone else.. I`m 14 now and I couldnt stop writing in my journal even if I tried! Most of my friends tell me that theres no point in keeping a journal other then other people stealing it and reading it. I was suprised when they said this, but then again they`re only 14 like myself…
My journal has helped me get threw some tough times and has helped me find out more about who I am.
I would be lost without it.
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September 3rd, 2009 at 7:54 am
I really enjoyed this. I think #5 was the important key that a lot of people miss when journaling. Instead of just recording everything that happens, you should right from a positive perspective. That is a wonderful way to refocus your energy and summon the Universe to deliver more positive circumstances.
Nea
Self Improvement Saga
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September 25th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Really nice posts. I will be checking back here regularly.
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October 29th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I started my journal today!
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May 17th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
I love journaling and find it very powerful. This is a great reminder for me to keep on keepin’ on! Thank you! I find that the more I notice, the more I’m grateful for, and the journaling helps so much with that. Plus, writing helps me to strip away all the external “stuff” that isn’t from my true, authentic voice, so that I can hear that true, authentic voice more clearly.
Wonderful!
Warmest regards,
Kendra
Momentary.org
Count your blessings. Everyday. Everywhere.
(free with promo code “joy”)
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June 28th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Liked it! This triggers me to start making my own journal today. I just realize how journaling will help manage one’s self and aids for personal growth. I will buy one today and will start writing thoughts and feelings surrounding the events of my life..
Great article!
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