Here’s my working list of reasons to journal, plus a few more from a workshop I facilitated:
- Create a personal or professional creative space.
- Record stories, anecdotes, ideas and inspirations.
- Share historical, scientific or personal records.
- Become more observant and/or increase awareness, focus and mindfulness.
- Develop a meditation practice.
- Gain perspective, understanding and knowledge.
- Increase your understanding of a problem, challenge or opportunity.
- Learn, and grow.
- Write left handed, right handed and upside down – sounds quirky, I know – I enjoy doing this.
- Solve problems.
- Improve writing, video or audio skills.
- Improve and/or explore an art, hobby or other personal or professional interest.
- Create: write, draw, sketch, collage and . . .
- Tend to some self care, self improvement, self development, self-accountability.
- Collaborate (group journal).
- Find more humor in your life (humor journal).
- Might alleviate stress.
- Explore your experiences, hopes, dreams and stories.
- Plan something.
- Develop goals, document and/or track your progress or the process.
- Explore and achieve a goal(s).
- Engage in creativity, play, innovation, and critical thinking.
- Explore feelings, thoughts, needs, intentions, beliefs, stories and interests.
- Document an experience, a trip – a journey taken.
- Pay attention in general or to something specific.
- Gain clarity, awareness, and insight.
- Give yourself the gift of a little time and space for reflection or a bit of spontaneity.
- As a gift for someone else.
- Have a safe place to explore and share.
- Share and/or process an experience individually or with others (group journaling).
- Learn more about what you value in life.
- Develop a writing, blogging, vlogging, photography practice.
- Grow a business, a hobby, a relationship.
- Share with future generations.
- Note progress or change.
- Self-acknowledge and give presence.
- Use as fodder for a memoir or book.
- Tend to your creativity.
- Have a place to play, a time to play, a space of your own.
- Explore that somethin’ somethin’ you’ve been thinking about.
- Season your day with life’s little things.
- Envision.
- Tend to your personal or professional leadership and creativity skills.
- Grow communication and relationship skills.
- Listen in and make connections.
- Enhance a job transition or career change.
- Create a little time for your self or a project.
- Satisfy your curiosity and engage a bit more with the things you wonder about.
- Create a new story or change a habit.
- Help people transition and have a greater understanding of the dynamics involved in a situation. (Ex: group caregiving journal)
- Reflect and/or grow your understanding in your work as a teacher, nurse, doctor, customer service rep, manager, technician, practitioner, artist, storyteller, engineer, etc.
- Have a space where you can spell or misspell a word any old way you want to
- Enjoy a little space of nonjudgment.
- See where you’ve been and where you might go next.
- Grow a relationship.
- Have your own portable play space.
- Revel in a place where the grammar police can’t pry.
- Leave a legacy.*
- A place for memories.*
- A possible therapeutic or healing space.*
- A private place to express yourself*
- A place for appreciation and gratitude.**
- Have a conversation … with yourself.***
- Gives me a reason to highlight using stickers, colored pencils or markers, or highlighters.***
- Highlight interesting and/or important points and take notes in meetings.***
- Explore or reflect on a decision.***
- Document what you accomplished or ran into on a project you are involved with.***
So, what’s your reason for journaling? I’d love to hear and grow my list – no doubt I’ve missed something!
– Mary
P.S. If a journal was pig, then I’d be writing on something that was pin, intelligent and enjoyed mud baths. I guess I’d have to clean out her pen?
I celebrate typos typos here!
Edits:
- * Participant workshop suggestions: 8/14/2015
- ** Another aha from yours truly: 8/14/2015
- Added PS and removed an image: 5/28/22
- *** Added a few more reasons to journal and tweaked for clarity: 5/28/22
