On Journaling
If you’ve read any “self-improvement” books, chances are that you’ve heard of the endless benefits of keeping a journal. A few years ago, I finally gave in and started keeping a daily journal and the impact it’s had on my life has been profound.
It’s been especially helpful to have a timeline of my activities and moods to see how I’ve handled different situations. The proclaimed benefits of keeping a journal are numerous, but the benefits I have experienced include increased gratitude, improved mental clarity, and better decision-making.
Many of the greatest thinkers have used journals to straighten out and clarify their thoughts. A few prominent figures that have used a journal include Mark Twain, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Ernest Hemingway.
In the modern era, it is easy to go many weeks without processing your thoughts and emotions by becoming absorbed in the infinite distractions that surround us. By sitting down to write what’s on your mind, you can better understand your mind and emotions.
Humans are terrible at remembering past emotions and experiences. But by writing down your thoughts, you have access to years worth of data on the different chapters of your life, and how you felt in each stage so that you can make more conscious, objective decisions in the future.
Today, there are two popular methods for keeping a journal—digital and analog. Keeping your journal in a digital format allows you to write anywhere and is faster than writing out by hand. However, I use a physical journal for a few reasons.
One, it gives me a break from screens. There is something oddly therapeutic about writing by hand in a notebook and putting the phone and computer away for a few moments each day.
Two, I’ve found that writing by hand allows me to process thoughts more clearly. I can type more quickly than I can think, and by slowing down my writing using a physical journal, I give myself time to think clearly about what I want to say.
Finally, I believe that physical notebooks and journals will outlast digital copies. Apps can crash. Companies can go out of business. But physical journals can survive hundreds of years.
What should you write in your journal? There are many ways to journal including bullet journaling, morning pages, gratitude practices, and daily reflections. The form and method you use do not matter. I have experimented with many different kinds and have found that the simpler the better. If you’ve never journaled before, I recommend that you start by writing the date at the top of the page, write what you did that day, how you’re feeling, and what you could have done better. Even if it feels like you have nothing to write or say, just start writing. It does not need to be pretty or eloquent. It is for you to create space between your mind and your thoughts.
Many of the best thinkers and leaders have used journals to elucidate their thoughts, capture ideas, and analyze their behaviors to improve themselves. It doesn’t matter if you write in a physical or digital journal. And it doesn’t even matter what you write in the journal. Just start and you will see how it changes the way you think and feel.
