When I was a pre-teen, someone gave me a little red diary with a lock that I’m sure could have been picked with a paper clip. When that filled up, I bought a larger, spiral bound notebook for my thoughts and now I have a multitude of journals – many waiting for attention from me. I often try to use a specific journal for a specific subject and usually I take off on a tangent so the journal becomes a mishmash of my thoughts, but that’s not a bad thing.
Whether or not you consider yourself a serious writer, journaling can be an important part of your life. It can open the door to self-discovery and help you get a deeper understanding of yourself and those around you.
If you don’t know where to start, but already have a journal waiting for you, or even if all you have is a leftover notebook, here are some ideas that might help you.
Ask yourself, “What should I write about?” and use some starters to get the ink and thoughts flowing. There is something empowering about writing in long hand that typing simply cannot compete against, so start with a favorite quotation, the first thing you see when you look out of your window or a color. You may want to start with a question such as, “Why do I ____? ” and fill in the blank with an emotional response.
For instance: Why do I love the rain? Why do I hate humid days? Why do I hesitate to follow my dreams? Why do I dislike ostriches? Why do I procrastinate preparing for presentations? Why do I adore chocolate?
If you are in the midst of a conflict with someone, describe that person from his or her point of view or have that person describe you.
Draw in your journal. It’s yours to do what pleases you. Create a stream of consciousness with stick people or diagrams.
Your journal could be a great asset to scrapbookers or your family. Record important moments and capture them in time. It doesn’t matter how you write, just get the details down. Fill in the details later. Record conversations as conversations. You’ll be amazed at how cathartic writing the actual words inside quotation marks can be.
If you are having a problem or need to resolve something, make a list of 100 things about that situation. List the pros and cons, the major and minor things you know or suspect about it and write scenarios based on that list.
Be sure to date and perhaps time stamp your journal pages. You will have a record for reference if you need to remember what you were thinking about during a particular time in your past.
Each day, focus on something different in your life -just a few thoughts or an entire page. What you write is up to you. Go with the feelings . Take some time to write down some specific topics to begin. Consider family, friends, career, health, education, hobbies, wishes and desires, money, pets, music as springboards.
Write the letters you always wanted to send, but never did . Nobody needs to read them, but this way you can clear your mind and get that monkey off your back. Tell off your boss or your ex.
What might have happened if you made different choices in your life’s journey? Where do you think your path-less-taken could have led you? What other jobs might you have chosen? Who else could have become your friend or mate? What kind of life would you like to be living instead of the one you currently live?
Record your dreams. Record what you remember upon first waking or the dreams you wish to fulfill in reality. Just write! There’s no wrong way to keep a journal and you may surprise yourself with what you discover about yourself and your writing skills once you put that pen to paper.