I like the idea of keeping a journal and admit that I don’t write in mine as much as I should.

I use the excuse that my personal blog is my journal, so I don’t have to write in my paper journal as much. I write in my paper journal once a month. In those monthly entries, I write about what’s going on in my life. When I’m not writing official journal entries, I make to-do lists in my journal, write out schedules and brainstorm ideas. I also use my journal to outline short story and novel ideas.

Journals are good for self-reflection, keeping a record of your life, sorting out your feelings, and keeping you on track. Looking back at past journals not only fills me with embarrassment, but also reminds me of how much I’ve grown and all the things I’ve accomplished in my life. When you are busy and feeling completely overwhelmed by life, it’s easy to forget those things.

You can use any kind of notebook to start a paper journal. I buy a special journal, but I don’t buy anything too fancy because I tend not to write in something I don’t want to mess up. If you prefer typing, use your favorite word processing program. If you want the world to see your journal, use sites like blogger.com or typepad.com.

Keeping a journal can remind you of goals, help you organize yourself, eases your stress, help you recognize the good things in your life, and when you’re old, you can read your old journals and laugh at how naive you used to be.

Photo by mezone

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