Six Reasons to Keep a Journal

I have been writing consistently each morning for about five years. I discovered the practice of journaling while reading a book entitled The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. In her book, Julia recommends writing three pages in a journal every morning. The writing should be a free-flowing dialog with yourself, no agenda or specific intentions, just whatever is on your mind. When I started this practice, I had no idea just how much it would change my life.

Why journaling is so beneficial

Clarity

There’s something about putting all your thoughts on paper that helps to clear your head. Perhaps it’s getting all the nonsense, spiraling thoughts and worries out of your head and into a more concrete place. Once they are spelled out in front of us, we feel compelled to consider what actions we might take and how we might make better decisions. The journaling process also forces us to slow down and think about things we may not even realize are weighing us down. In the process of removing this excess weight, somehow, we feel lighter. And, consequently, we find more mental clarity around our thoughts in the coming hours of the day.   

Ideas-a-plenty

How many times have you had a great idea but neglected to jot it down? If you’re like me, that idea is long gone by the time you finish up your day. Many times, we have completely forgotten that we even had such an epiphany. By journaling first thing in the morning, we can capture our ideas on paper and elaborate on them in the moment or even save them for later. Additionally, I find that the very act of putting pen to paper gets my creative juices flowing which, in turn, generates more ideas.

Ambition

Journaling can be a great place to write down your hopes and dreams, no matter how grand they may seem. The safety and security of putting your dreams in a journal frees us to write down aspirations we might not dare to share otherwise. I remember writing about becoming an author when I first started journaling. I felt my pulse racing as I put the words on paper. I felt certain someone would tap me on the shoulder and ask me just who I thought I was. However, placing these thoughts and dreams on paper was the first step toward believing that being an author was a real possibility. And, not nearly as unattainable as I had let myself believe. 

Somehow, the process of writing your desires on paper makes them more concrete. It gives them a place to live and grow. No longer locked in our thoughts, we release our ideas and creativity onto the page. When we dare to believe that these dreams are achievable, we can turn them into goals and that is when big changes can start to occur.

Healing and insights

By journaling about things that have hurt us, our pain and our sorrow, we can find deep healing. For years therapists have used journals, logs and other forms of writing to help people heal from stresses and traumas. When we write down our stories, we release pain, anger and grief onto the page. By releasing these emotions, we find it easier to move on with our lives and even re-write them.

By uncovering buried thoughts and feelings, we become more aware of ourselves. We can look at what we have written as a witness to the events without judgement. Having the freedom to write anything with an open heart and open mind is a liberating experience. Often, we can gain life-changing insights into our thoughts and habits.

Discovery

Journaling allows us to become our authentic selves. When we write about who we wish to be, what we are learning each day and the fears we want to overcome, we find true insight into who we are. Pondering these types of questions each day compels us to consider life through a new lens and then act upon those realizations. We begin to live our lives in a more present and thoughtful way. And, when we include writing about what we are grateful for, it is hard to deny the changes we begin to see in our attitudes and behaviors.

One shot

Our lives are unique, zany and spontaneous. Aren’t the events we experience worth recording? All the wonderful bits and pieces? The things that inspire us, lift us up, make us laugh and make us cry? When we write about the experiences of our lives it deepens those experiences within us and gives us the chance to relive them again. It is a powerful way to enrich those experiences.

We only get one shot at life. Be it messy and haphazard. Be it high or low. We’ve only got one shot at our ambitions, our hopes and our dreams. By spending time journaling each day we gain insight into ourselves and open the door to growth and opportunity. We gain the ability to see ourselves from a new perspective. And, we get the chance to live our very best lives.  

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