Starting a Journal
Get a notebook or journal. You can use a physical notebook, or you can write your journal on the computer. Choose a medium that is comfortable for you – something that inspires you to write. Use a simple paper-bound notebook that you can carry around with you. Try to find something that fits into your bag or pocket. Use a nicer leather-bound notebook if you want to give weight to your thoughts. This can be a great way to make your journal feel special. Keep a text document on your computer, or make a folder for individual entry documents. Consider keeping your journal online as a private or public blog.
Envision the type of journal that you want to keep. Some people keep a detailed log of everything that happens over the course of each day. Other people record their thoughts and visions in the form of sporadic notes and poetry. Still others prefer to draw their experiences, or to make "mind maps," or to keep dream journals. Think about why you're doing this. There is no right or wrong way to keep a journal of your life. It is your life, and it is your journal! It may help to take tips from other journal-keepers, but ultimately, you will develop your own style through practice.
Write your first journal entry. Find a quiet, peaceful place to sit and focus on your journal. Give yourself 10-15 minutes to write freely, uninhibited, without thinking too much about why you're writing what you're writing. Let the words flow from the top of your head, and do not read over what you've just written. Write about what you did today or what you plan to do tomorrow. Mention the places you went, the conversations you had, the things you learned, and the things that occupied your mind. This is a space to set down any practical details or information that you want to remember. Write about someone that's on your mind. Write about the things that are stressing you out or making you excited. Write about your dreams, your plans, your fears, your insecurities. Try acknowledging the fact that you are starting your journal. If you can't think of anything else to write about, then write about the fact that this is your first journal entry. Write a page about why you've decided to keep this journal, what you hope to learn about yourself, and what it feels like to set your thoughts down on paper.
Keeping a Journal
Write regularly. Some people keep a daily journal, while others prefer to write once a week or even once a month. Start by giving yourself a schedule to get in the habit of writing. Commit to spending ten minutes writing in your journal every morning or every evening. Try writing "Morning Pages," the creativity tool that Julia Cameron popularized in her book The Artist's Way. Each morning, before you do anything else, write three full pages, longhand, in a notebook. Don't check your work or think too much about what you're writing – just get it out. Try keeping a monthly check-in journal. At the end of each month, write an entry about the main events that happened. Explain what happened, what you loved, and what you learned. Track how you grow and develop each month.
Keep your journal safe and secure. If you are pouring your deepest, most vulnerable thoughts into this book, then you probably don't want anyone else to pick it up and start reading. Carry the journal around with you for safety and convenience. Alternately, hide the book in your home or office: under your mattress, or behind other books in your bookshelf, or in a safe or lock-box. If you're keeping a digital journal, make sure to protect your documents with a password or save them to a hidden folder.
Use your journal to understand your growth. Every once in a while, read over what you have written in your journal over the past few weeks or months. Flip through the journal entries that you wrote years ago. Compare the way that you thought about things then to the way that you think about things now. Remember the past so that you are better prepared for the future. Notice how your journal entries sounded at a time when you felt sad, stuck, or frustrated in life. Try to catch yourself when you are writing like this so that you can do something about it. Notice how you were writing at a time when you were happy and excited about the future. Think about how you can channel this feeling.
Journaling Deeply
Try to write the "hidden narrative" of your life. Use your journal to explore the things that you would never tell another person. Be utterly honest with yourself, and don't hold anything back. Try not to correct yourself as you write. Don't sugarcoat anything. Write as though no one will ever read these words.
Journal for therapy. Studies have indicated that writing in a journal can be a powerful way to process grief, trauma, and other emotional pains. Let your writing habit hold you up when you feel that everything is falling apart.
Give yourself writing prompts to aid your introspection. Look for journal prompts on the Internet, ask a friend or a therapist for ideas, or try to come up with a few solid themes that you want to explore. Having a different question or journal prompt to answer each day can be a great way to keep up with writing. When you write to a prompt, you may feel more like you're writing to someone instead of just writing for yourself, and you may feel accountable to the journal structure. Consider these questions: How would you like to be remembered? Are you proud of who you are? What is a personality trait that you admire or seek in others – and why? Think about something you feel obligated to do, daily or regularly. Why? What is the best advice that you've ever received?
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