Some Thoughts on Keeping a Journal
Notebooks, Journals, Diaries, etc...
I have tried for years to make a habit out of journaling. I would buy or be gifted a beautiful hard-bound notebook and a nice pen, throw a few words onto the first few pages, then lose interest after a week or two. However, about a month ago, something changed with my usual pattern of journaling obsession then boredom. In August I started another journal, but this time I took a different approach.
First, I adopted the mindset that now is the perfect time to write. Not later today, or when I get a free moment, but Right. Now. I stopped waiting for the perfect idea or clever thought to leap from my pen to the page. I simply write whatever I am thinking or feeling. No putting it off until that moving target date of "later." There are plenty of articles, posts, and videos available in which the first piece of advice is simply to start writing, no matter what might come out. This is nothing profound or new, but it is an idea that finally clicked for me.
This realization helped me break my second bad journaling habit- self-editing. When I would journal previously, I did my best to be profound with every stroke of the pen. This caused analysis paralysis, which lead to a demoralizing urge to give up entirely. My thoughts were, "This is nowhere near -insert great diarist's name here-, so what's the use?" I would edit everything in my head before I wrote anything down, which, predictably, would lead to writing nothing. This, coupled with an unfounded fear of judgement (no one else was going to read this, just me) made it difficult to build a daily habit of journaling.
Lastly, I developed the ability to lean into the discomfort of writing my thoughts down. The procrastination and censoring of myself comes from a fear of doing something outside my comfort zone. Because of this, journaling was fun to think about, but terrified me in practice. I turned this self-doubt around by making a concerted effort to recognize those feelings when they bubble up and to use my journal as a vehicle to explore them.
I addition to using my journal as a tool for growth and self-reflection, I write down any ideas, thoughts, and quotes that strike me. The format of my journal is not fixed. Right now, I carry a passport-sized Traveler's notebook, which continues to evolve as I find new formats for journals and uncover tips and tricks from others who keep journals. This flexibility is especially important to me. If I siloed myself into bullet journaling or a commonplace book, I would get resentful of the structure and would most likely give up the habit. I admire people that use these systems and I have cribbed some excellent ideas from them, but I recognize that those formats are not for me. I'll continue to write, read, and explore journals and journaling in pursuit of finding the secret sauce that works for me.
Until the next one!
-Max