Effective Journaling

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions regarding journaling. I plan to use it as a tool to set and follow goals, to learn about myself and to make decisions about life.

So, how do you journal? What methods do you use? Do you follow some sort of outline? Do you use books that give you topics to write about in order to learn something specific?

I would basically like to hear any information you have on how you've used journaling and what it's done for you.

Thanks!

[Brad Isaac]

I use a past - present - future journaling concept.

The way it works is every day I write down the date.

Under the date I can put in information about what's happened since the last journal date (i.e. I met a client and discussed ____) that would be my past.

Present is when I'm on a bus or standing in line, etc I can record what's going on currently in my mind or what's recently just occurred and ideas.

For future, I write down ideas and brainstorms on what I am wanting to do, how I can overcome hurdles etc.

Note: I don't force myself to record all 3 categories. It's just a nice target to aim for. If I only have ideas, that's all I record.

I recommend you be flexible and have fun with your journal. Stiff journal rules will make it a chore.

Enjoy!

[Calculusaurus]

Has anyone had experience with this book? Amazon.com: Journal to the Self: Twenty-Two Paths to Personal Growth - Open the Door to Self-Understanding by Reading, Writing, and Creating a Journal of Your Life: Books: Kathleen Adams

Based on the book description, it appears to be a great tool for learning how to journal effectively.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Thanks you two. I am taking all the suggestions I can get to find just the right system for me.

[AndyMartin]

{aspiring_to_clarity},

I've tried a lot of different approaches to journaling over the past fifteen years, and I can tell you that this can -- and maybe should -- evolve and change over time.

Sometimes just writing your thoughts and experiences can be more beneficial than any sort of system. I've also had more formal systems be very effective at some times. (See The Birth and Death of a Personal Growth Practice | Manifest Revolution.)

I think the best thing you can do is to start by just putting your thought process (for decisions) and self-reflection (for goals) into written words for a while and pay attention to what patterns emerge. Make sure to include your mental and emotional responses to the outcomes of those decisions and goals later on. If nothing else, you'll increase your self-awareness and embed those intentions into your thought patterns, and that alone will be beneficial.

Good luck,
Andy

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Thanks, Andy. Great advice.

Does anyone else have more suggestions. I feel like I've got a good start, but there must be some more journalers out there who've got a great system!

[Alchemiss]

Originally Posted by Calculusaurus

Has anyone had experience with this book? Amazon.com: Journal to the Self: Twenty-Two Paths to Personal Growth - Open the Door to Self-Understanding by Reading, Writing, and Creating a Journal of Your Life: Books: Kathleen Adams

Based on the book description, it appears to be a great tool for learning how to journal effectively.

It's a great book. I've used many of the techniques off and on throughout the years. I highly recommend it.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Now that I think of it, I believe you recommended it to me in another thread, Alchemiss. I guess that means I am supposed to check it out! Sometimes I forget to go back and check out links and books people recommend when I can't do it right away...thanks.

[Alchemiss]

Yes, I did mention it before although I didn't remember which thread it was in. I am a bit of a journaling geek and have used books by Kathleen Adams, Tristine Rainier, Deena Metzger, Ira Progoff (thumbs down on his stuff for me), and Christina Baldwin among many others.

My personal top three for growth through writing are (in order):
1. Writing the Mind Alive: The Proprioceptive Method for Finding Your Authentic Voice by Linda Tritcher-Metcalf and Toby Simon
2. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron--Doing the "morning pages" (three long hand pages of writing per day)
3. Journal to the Self by Kathleen Adams

I took a proprioceptive writing class several years before the "Writing the Mind Alive" book came out. It is a powerful method of learning more about yourself. The authors come across as a bit self-impressed (this is true in person also) but their approach is fantastic.

[madgeylou]

i dont have much of a system. i've been keeping a journal since i was 15 (i have them all!) and i pretty much just address my book as i would a friend.

a typical entry starts out as "hola libro, it's me madge on 26 june 07. i'm on the train on the way home -- got a seat! woot! -- after kind of a long day but no need to bore myself with the details of the database that fell. last night i met a really interesting person ..."

my intuition pretty much guides me along into writing about what i need to write about.

sometimes i find myself writing about the same things repeatedly. seeing that pattern helps me to break it rather than just drop into broken record mode where i ♥♥♥♥♥ about the same thing for months on end without doing anything about it.

i try to keep todo lists out of my journal. i have other notebooks for that kind of stuff. my journal is simply a way for me to talk to myself, to figure out what the current trends are on madgeworld, and how to alchemize what's going on into what i want to be going on.

also, i have a lot of fun in my life, and i like to document it.

recently i've restarted the practice of ending every journal entry with a list of things i'm grateful for. everything from a beautiful day to the bluejay who visits my backyard to my grandma's amazing memory. this really helps me get into a good headspace for coming out of introspection mode and getting back into action.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Thanks for sharing. I guess I didn't want to just do a laundry list of what happened that day. I've gotten a lot of good suggestions here -- mostly to make it my own. I guess also that once I start I will naturally fall into some rhythym. I want it to help me sort things out.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Alchemiss

2. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron--Doing the "morning pages" (three long hand pages of writing per day)

Alchemiss, I was just going to suggest the morning pages! I've found it difficult to have the discipline to do them every day, but sure have found some golden nuggets of insight in writing them when I do hunker down and do it.

Aspiring, you just write three long-hand pages in the morning as soon as you wake up (while your mind is still all smooshy from sleep), whatever comes freestreaming through your mind. I usually find that the first two pages are always blah-blah-blah junk -- and then Voila! -- some precious new insight will come leaping up, things I can't believe I'm seeing for the first time.

The whole Artist's Way process is fun, but the morning pages were my favorite part. (You don't have to do the whole thing; you can just do the pages.)

[Alchemiss]

Originally Posted by Angela

The whole Artist's Way process is fun, but the morning pages were my favorite part. (You don't have to do the whole thing; you can just do the pages.)

Me too! I continued doing them for a couple years after one of my passes through The Artist's Way. The magic tended to happen for me on that last page and a half or so also.

[Calculusaurus]

Originally Posted by Alchemiss

It's a great book. I've used many of the techniques off and on throughout the years. I highly recommend it.

Thanks. Just purchased it.

[Kaspian]

Doing the morning pages is one of the most profound tools for growth, self-awareness, and positive change that I know.

[Jayne]

I have been doing morning pages - although not consistently - for some time, with great results. In my first 3 days I uncovered and let go of some emotional baggage I had been carrying around for 22 years. Having to write first thing in the morning for 3 pages takes your mind to places you have never gone before. It's truly eye-opening, and something I would recommend to anyone. Not too difficult to do - just takes time. First thing in the morning, sit down and write 3 full pages front and back - and see where it takes you. Very powerful stuff!

[Alchemiss]

Originally Posted by Jayne

.... First thing in the morning, sit down and write 3 full pages front and back - and see where it takes you. Very powerful stuff!

So are you writing six pages in total? Yikes! I only did three.

[Angela]

Me, too. and just three pages from a smaller notebook -- not the 8.5 x 11 size. Even that took a half an hour of straight scribbling. That's enough for me!

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like the morning pages might be a good idea. I've heard of that before, but haven't tried it. I will have to conquer my phobia of early-rising to accomplish it, so it will kill two birds with one stone (what a violent expression).

Last night, I wrote down a few quotes that I liked and a list of concrete goals as well as a couple of intentions I want to remember. Even that little bit felt good, so I think I am on my way.

[Alchemiss]

So did you try the morning pages today?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Haven't tried them yet. I had some other stuff going on, but I am planning to.

[Erki]

I have thought about journaling a bit too but never got to actually do it. The reason for it is pretty simple...and somewhat silly too(what did you expect?) - I can see afterwards what I have written. And then it's like "What? I wrote that?! " It's kinda like watching yourself from mirror - and suffice to say, I hate mirrors.

[Stargirl]

With morning pages, the author advises not to reread them, at least not after a while, so you can see your growth and so you're not put off by how you sound .

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Yeah, Erki, I've had some cringeworthy moments looking at old stuff I've written. Mirrors can be a pain sometimes, but if you let them they will help you grow a lot. It may not be painless, but it's more than worth it.

[Erki]

Kinda like forum posts then - which I usually don't reread. But once in a while, I go back 4 years and see that something has changed.

[Angela]

yeah, I found that the insights came up for me during the writing, and then would blossom during the day as I pondered what had surprised me by coming up.

I wonder if anyone is interested in participating in a Morning Pages Thread, where we post what kind of stuff is happening as a result of doing them?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

If I can get up early enough to have time to actually write them I would definitely join the thread.

Erki, sometimes I hate reading stuff I wrote a long time ago, but other times I simply find it amusing. Sometimes it's nice to see how far I've come, or, alternately how much wiser I was as a kid!

[Alchemiss]

Originally Posted by Angela

I wonder if anyone is interested in participating in a Morning Pages Thread, where we post what kind of stuff is happening as a result of doing them?

I would be. I'm not doing them daily at this point but I wouldn't post about it daily anyway.

[Andrew Brunelle]

I use LiveJournal.com mostly because it is easy and it allows you to review it as far back as you want and does nothing to hurt the environment, being paper free. I also keep a personal blog on my website, link located in my signature. There is no rhyme or reason for the types of posts i make, especially in my journal. My blog is a little more structured, just a little. But just start writing a lot, and you'll finally get to where you need to be.