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Articles
 Sometimes my clients express interest in keeping
a journal, but are not sure how to begin. Keeping a journal can be
a wonderful gift we give ourselves. Your journal is a way to open
up a dialogue with yourself, to get
to
know yourself. It is completely yours – you can do anything
you like with your journal, use whatever type of book feels most
comfortable to you, choose your pen, and draw pictures if you don’t
want to write. You can write as much or as little as you wish,
and since it will be read by no one but you, there’s no need
to worry about spelling and grammar.
People keep journals for different reasons:
- Some people like to record what they do and think everyday,
sort of a record of their life.
- Other people use a journal as a means
of introspection, writing down their thoughts gives them
a way to better know and understand
themselves.
- People find writing down their feelings can be a helpful
way of expressing these feelings and gaining some relief.
- Writing
about problems and concerns can sometimes help a person work
toward resolution. The very act of articulating our thoughts
and feelings
- putting them into words- can be helpful, both in furthering
our own understanding,
and also helping us find the words to share our concerns with
others.
- Finally,
some people find journaling helps them to organize their
lives better, to set goals and priorities and keep themselves
focused
on their progress in working on the issues they have chosen.
(See Goal Setting article)
People have been drawn to journal writing for centuries. While
there is no “right” or “wrong” way to keep
a journal, there are some things people have discovered that have
made their experience particularly rich for them. The most important
seems to be to try to develop a daily routine for writing. Most
people find that their journal is most helpful if they write every
day, even a brief entry. Try to find a place and time that can
regularly work for you. Find a book and a pen that you like. Make
journaling a priority and something you look forward to doing.
- Decide that keeping a journal is important and
make a commitment to doing it daily for a period of time (a
week, a month,
whatever you decide is enough time to give it a fair try)
- Get a
book and a pen, choose your spot and a time that you can
regularly write.
At first it may feel awkward and people may wonder
what to write. It may help to ask yourself some questions.
- You may wish to focus on your day. What happened in your day?
What was important about it? What went well and were there
problems? What did you notice that made you feel good, grateful
and happy
to be alive? If there was nothing might you look for something
tomorrow?
- Who did you talk to today? How are your relationships
with those people?
- If you are interested in using your writing
to clarify your goals, read the Goal setting article and come
up with some questions
to focus on in your writing. What are your goals, long term,
short term? What do you really want in life?
- Maybe you want to
explore your values. What values are most important to you – making
money, helping others, having friends, finding meaningful work?
What do the following mean to you and
which are important? Cooperation, Freedom, Integrity, Trust,
Fairness, Honesty, Justice, Compassion, Responsibility
- Maybe
it is important to you to explore your feelings. You may want
to think about when you have felt most happy, most comfortable.
What are the things you most enjoy doing? It may be important
to explore feelings that you have pushed aside because they
are
painful. Are there things in your life you need to examine
and better understand? Who are the people who have been most
meaningful
in your life? What makes you feel inspired, excited. What
is most interesting to you? What makes you feel sad, frightened,
or angry? What makes you feel delighted, optimistic, or energized?
Who are people you enjoy being with?
- It might be helpful to pay
attention to how you think of yourself. What do you say to yourself
about yourself? Is your “self
talk” positive or negative? If it is negative, why do
you think that is? How does it effect how you act and feel
in your
daily life? Does thinking of yourself negatively hold you back
in some situations? How might you check the accuracy of your
self assessment? If it is unreasonably negative, how might
you work to change it? How would you like to see yourself?
- As you
look at your values and your feelings, how do these relate
to goals you may have for yourself. Might you find ways to
take action, in even very small ways that might move you toward
your
goals?
Do not get overwhelmed by these suggestions. They are just suggestions.
If any of them seem appealing, just pick one or two ideas or questions
and focus on them and forget the rest until you decide you need
another focus. You may find that when you sit down the words just
come and you need no help to get started. The main thing to remember
is that your journal is yours, to use in the way that is most helpful
and comfortable to you. Happy journaling!
Copyright © 2004
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