Keeping a journal is good for heart, mind and soul. Journaling helps you explore your past and present and plan your future. Your journal can be a tool to improve your life, discover your strengths and weaknesses and explore your creativity.
Journaling in one form or another has always been a part of my life. Recently as I was getting ready to move house, I found more than 30 journals spanning about ten years – the older ones are in boxes somewhere. I keep everything in my journals, daily notes, appointments, book ideas, thoughts, poems, stories, goals, dreams, and a heck of a lot of scribbling and doodling. I used to write in my journals when I was traveling on trains or planes – I filled up quite a few pages this way. But as a matter of course, journaling for me is a way to clarify my thoughts, get my things in order for the coming days. Writing in a journal is a great practice. Rather than simply talking to oneself, once you start journaling, you are able to get a grip on feelings, see patterns, and organize your thoughts better.
There are some great benefits to writing in a journal on a regular basis :
1. Be aware of feelings and events, review experiences objectively
2. Set written goals and objectives and track whether or not they are being achieved
3. Consequently think about and write things you are grateful for, gratitude journaling is a great way to keep in the moment and uplift your spirits
4. Know the major thoughts and feelings for that day, evaluate them, instill new behaviours to reduce negative thinking and responses
5. Be in tune with yourself, know yourself better, what motivates you and what impacts you on a daily basis
6. Track productivity and results, are you achieving what you want to achieve or are you in a rut?
7. Record ideas and insights so you remember them and can use them later
8. Ask key questions about life, your own life, philosophy, your future, record them and give yourself the opportunity to answer them
9. Write down special events and things you have learned, this is particularly rewarding 10. Keep track of your affirmations
There are hundreds of different journals available, blank books, notebooks, journals with quotes. I have created a journal in the form of a PDF that includes all the things you should think of when journaling on each page as well as a motivational quote for each day. You are free to download it here.
- My long term goal
- My short term goals and objectives
- I am grateful for
- My positive affirmations
- My emotions and thoughts today
- Negative
- Positive
- My accomplishments today
- Who I saw today
- What I did today
- My plans for tomorrow
- My creative ideas
Keeping a journal is a great way to keep in touch with yourself, to keep growing as a person, and to track whether or not you are achieving your goals. I highly recommend it!