What do you journal about?

[Keith]

I'm interested in starting to journal since it sounds like a great way to access innermost thoughts and feelings and to develop.

But I'm faced with that most terrifying of things; a blank page! How do you get started? What sort of things do you write? How do you know if you're doing it right? Do you hold a conversation with yourself? Write to headings? Something else?

Thanks.

[demk]

I originally started to get my thoughts down on paper and out of my head, a way to organise what I was thinking about in the days before meditation when I wasnt that lucid and clear minded. I'm still not great at concentrating on my thoughts so writing is a great way to get everything together in my head. Somtimes I just spill out loads of random comments and use each one as the start of a paragraph. Its as if I have loads of different points in my head that I need to get onto paper and then deal with mentally (usually by thinking about them in a different way or deciding to do something about it). I generally write down things that I have learnt that have helped me too.

Hemmingway said that as soon as he felt like he was "writing" he stopped and he only wrote when he felt like the page was writing itself. Just start writing and it will flow out. When you get the urge to write, write, and when you feel like your forcing it out don't.

Also, Brain Eno said that when you don't know where to start, start anywhere. Just do it and I am sure it will flow.

[copla]

I just write about what happened during the day, the great events, the distinctions, and use the journaling time to work through any problems I have with the intent to solve them When I first began journaling it was more of a 14 year old girl's diary, bitching about problems, worrying about things on paper- that doesn't help, and that doesn't further your personal development. Rather, focus on the good things, that way you get to experience them twice! First when it occurs, and a second time when you relive the experience while writing it down, and even more times as you re-read your journals as time goes on. It really is the most amazing feeling to have a tangible record of your personal development by comparing your entries six months ago to your entries today, it's truly a beautiful thing.

[Equity's Darling]

Recently I've been LiveJournal-ing about introspective issues of syncronicity and the global unconscious.

I met a new friend less than a month ago, purely by chance - in a politics community. I decided to check out his blog because his name struck a cord - "ockhams_shotgun" (reminded me of occam's razor).

Turns out he's doing a Masters in psychotherapy even though his undergrad degree was in philosophy -- I'm currently tutoring psychology. Weird, huh?

So he gave me pointers towards Kant and Jung & I helped him with schema and whatnot, and it honest to God seems like he's pointing me in the direct of where to look next.

So currently I'm on a path of discovery, but I'm learning experientially, so my progress is slow but heart stoppingly fascinating (at least to me!)

[cftwo]

Everything. I'll sometimes start with a warm-up about the weather or what I did today, but I try to get to the "I feel..." bits, and often just starting a sentence with that is enough to get me going. There is no wrong way to journal - I see it as a healing/helpful process for me that I really don't plan on sharing with anyone else. In fact, I shred my journals after a while - when it reaches the point where *I* don't need them anymore. Sometimes that's a year, sometimes it's 5 years. But they DO get shredded after a while. The biggest challenge for me was finding the right sort of journal for me. I tried some that were bound as a book, some with cheap paper, and finally settled on the Circa notebooks that Levenger sells (http://www.levenger.com). Not only does my fountain pen not bleed through the paper, but I can take the pages out and shred them without making a huge mess. Or I can just take blank pages with me when I travel without worrying about losing my journal - or someone else finding it.

[helgi]

Are any of you familiar with Julia Cameron's morning pages? It's a form of meditation where you write three pages of nonsense in the morning to clear your head. Works wonders, and the important thing is to just write, even if it's three full pages about why you can't think of anything to write.

I usually just start typing, or writing if I'm using a pen, and then something happens from there. Mostly I've used it to walk myself through issues I've been having, sort of acting as my own therapist in a way.

When I'm working on a project for school, I often write about it to walk myself through the problems I need to solve. And even with essays, to write a few pages about the essay before you start actually writing it.

If you haven't already, I recommend reading The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.

And then I found an excellent list of books on journaling you may want to check out.

Can't remember the title, but I saw a book on journaling the other day that was more aimed at the business crowd than the Artist's Way and the other ones on that list, something about journaling as a personal development tool.
edit: here it is, Accidental Genius by Mark Levy.

[Flame]

I started keeping a journal a couple of weeks ago. I didn't want to make it feel like a chore or homework, but I need more structure than reflecting in free form.

I've started doing the exercises I found in this article: Researchers seek routes to happier life - Yahoo! News

Most helpful to me: "Think of 3 things that were good about the day & analyze why they happened." If I don't feel like writing, I just do them in my head. (If you're in a bad place, sometimes the only good things you can think of are "I'm still here," or "I didn't have a wreck on the way home," but over time, it can improve mood and help focus your introspection).

p.s. I'm new-- hope the article link is ok.

[MGJ]

Hi Keith... go to MyGratitudeJournal.com - Home if you want to get a kick start on journaling. I have an article on my site "Keeping A Journal" as well as a free on-line journal available if you want to access it from anywhere.

[Cassie]

I just start writing on a blank page uncensored without thinking too much. Sometimes some really good stuff comes out.

[stephencp]

If the blank page is stopping you, then begin to write about what actually happened during the day and not necessarily what you THINK about. Eventually, you can add commentary as you want to. In the meanwhile, you've got a good history. I"ve got workout logs from fifteen years ago....

Stephen
Power-Book Library: Free personal development, success, inspiration and motivational classics

[Nneka]

I started with stream of consciousness. It could be anything. Those types of entries would start something like this, "I went to work today and as soon as I got in I had to do....." and on and on.

Sometimes I want a question answered. So I write the question on the top of the page then just write anything that comes to mind. I write until I get the sense that it's not me talking anymore. Then I start addressing myself as "you". It really clears my head.

You could also do a gratitude journal. 10 (or however many you want) things that you are grateful for in the morning and/or evening.

Whatever you do, just start writing. Your thoughts will start flooding out.

[Joel Chue]

I don't see why you can't start writing now...

Grab a pen and start putting your thoughts/reflections down
on your journal.

Its really easy... Whether you have a good or bad day,
write it down. The rewards are waiting for you.

I started journaling when I was in the army. Training got
very tough at one point of time. The journal became
a good source of stress-relief, it was like reconnecting
with myself as I rediscovered 'WHY' I need to keep
going on.

Another alternative is that you can BLOG!
Blogger: Create your Blog Now -- FREE
to get you started!

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Keith

I'm interested in starting to journal since it sounds like a great way to access innermost thoughts and feelings and to develop.

But I'm faced with that most terrifying of things; a blank page! How do you get started? What sort of things do you write? How do you know if you're doing it right? Do you hold a conversation with yourself? Write to headings? Something else?

Thanks.

In the morning when I first sit down at my computer I open a word document that contains my journal, I enter the date. I enter my mood, if there is nothing else I can think of at that moment I save the document and close it. If there is more that I think about later I write it in my journal.

If later in my day something occurs I write about the thought, feeling or event. If I am happy I write about the feeling and circumstances surrounding my happiness.

Sometimes I write a letter to someone and include that in my journal. I did this recently with a letter to my ex-wife. The things I expressed in that letter were journal material.

For me, writing is an integral part of making progress towards being the man I desire to become.

[Markus74]

I'd like to journal my dreams, but I'm too tired and lazy when I wake up in the night ... And it would disturb my sleep even more? Having to focus to write prevents me from getting back to sleep easily ...

I need a 'mind recorder'!

[Fusebox]

Sometimes with journaling, we subconsciously expect to write lengthy paragraphs. Perhaps just start with some bullet points.

Also if you dont get time to write your thoughts out fully, just make a note of what you did want to write down and come back to it.