why i journal
Since I was a little girl I have kept a journal. It has been a place to chronicle life and work through my feelings. I never worry that my words won’t come out as intended or that I will offend anyone. It is a safe space to dream out loud, share feelings of joy, speak my fears and to rant when I am pissed off. My journal has been a cheerleader, a therapist, a best friend, a coach and a keeper of all secrets. It never has opinions, it is never critical, it is never mean and I can say what I want without worry.
Over the years my journal of choice has evolved. As a young girl I liked the fancy journals complete with locks and fluffy-headed pens (remember those?!) and now I use a simple Moleskine notebook. I have kept most of my journals. I am not sure why. They aren’t meant for anyone but me and I rarely go back and read them. Yet, my ink stained notebooks mark the passage of time. A story of what goes on inside my head. A life lived, a chronicle of dreams and emotions captured.
Just as the book I write in has evolved so, too, has my journaling style. Now, I use it as more of a mindset tool than a diary of teenage angst. At times, I have followed a structured approach where I use daily prompts such as listing three things I am grateful for and what will I do to make today great. In the past, this method has helped to focus my journaling and establish my headspace for the day. Other times, my approach has been more freestyle where I write about whatever comes to mind that morning.
Currently, I blend some structure with some freestyle. I always start by writing down a bullet-point list what I am grateful for. I conclude by writing what I want for the future as if it has already happened. The middle of my journal practice is pretty unstructured and I write what is on my heart and in my mind at the moment.
My notes of gratitude each morning can be as significant as being grateful for a warm, safe home or as simple as being grateful that someone else brought the recycling bins up from the curb. Some days I write a super long list and other days only a few items. In recent years I have found that the deliberate act of writing down what I am grateful for has allowed me consider what is good about life even when things seem bleak.
For example, my journal helped me through our Christmas vacation last year. We had planned a fun family ski trip but it went off the rails when a deer ran into our car en route. Then, three days later, one of my boys broke his leg on the hill. Nothing had gone as planned. I was exhausted. I was mad. Between ensuring my boy was comfortable and not in pain after his break, figuring out rental vehicles, filing insurance claims and a myriad of other logistics I didn’t want to do anything else.
For a hot minute I sat in my pity party for one but then cracked open my journal and started to write. As I listed the things I was grateful for the negative parts faded into the background. No one had been hurt except the car from the deer incident. My sons broken leg did not require surgery and, after the first few nights, his pain was not as bad. I had spent some amazing time on the ski hill with my older boys and we were able to enjoy apres ski drinks at the pub. We were all together as a family and had figured out a way home. It wasn’t at all what I had hoped our holiday would be. But it would be okay. Journaling helped me to process my negative feelings and realize all the good that surrounded me. Even though our holiday looked nothing like what I thought it would I was grateful for all the things it had been.
In the same manner that I write about what I am grateful for each day I also list what I want to have happen in the future. This keeps my dreams, goals and aspirations top of mind. I write them down as if they have already happened. This makes them seem real and feel achievable. I can clearly picture the goal happening.
For me, journaling started when I was young as a way to explore how I was feeling and dream about what the future could look like. Now, while I still journal as a way of self-discovery, it is a habit that is as much a part of my day as brushing my teeth. With each note of gratitude I am constantly reminded of all that is good. And, as I write about what I want the future to look like, I find myself intentionally shaping the decisions I make each day in service of those goals.
I believe that everyone should take five minutes each day to put pen to paper. Journaling has brought clarity, a sense of gratitude and focus to my life. Creating a space to remind myself of what is good, express my feelings in a safe place and think about my goals has helped me to strive to be a better version of myself each and every day.
You don’t need a fancy notebook. Any piece of paper and pen will do. If you don’t already write daily in a journal I encourage you to start. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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If you are new to a daily journal practice here are some resources that you might find helpful:
The Five Minute Journal (notebook & also available in app form)