I've been writing a daily entry every single day for more than 7 years. My goal was to note continuity, how events flow. Also, I can provide an accurate weather report for any date beyond 2018.
I agree. I have gotten out of the habit of journaling too. For a long time I had a gratitude notebook in which I had to find three things every day, no matter how small. It’s worth doing on paper. We have to escape from our screens and the feel of a good pen is not replaceable by anything electronic.
I started the daily practice of Julia Cameron’s “morning pages” (3 longhand stream-of-consciousness pages first thing in the morning) when I stepped away from my sales career to take care of my mom ten years ago. It has been the most revelatory and transformational experience of my life! Long live longhand!
I have more or less always kept a journal, aside from a time of serious illness. I use cheap 200 page notebooks, always green covers. I do lots of my research in them as well as personal notes, so I go through 1-2 a month. I paginate and annotate in red and type up a table of contents to find what I need.
This is so special because I recently planted a little rose shrub and I’ve been writing every day about its growth! There’s actually a lot to say! I’m so glad you’ve taken it up; keep me updated! 🤍
Hello, Your story could have been my story. I could buy a new home with the amount of money I have spent on beautiful journals, nice writing pens, my favorite still is Tul, leather bound , rice paper, linen , with the pretty page marker, without, cute covers, locks , the list goes on. What would happen though, if I made a mistake,a spelling error, I could not get past it. I’d tear the page out, leaving that raggedy edge in the book and heaven knows that would not do, so I’d ditch the $ 29. 99 journal from Barnes and Noble and buy another one. I’d try erasable pens, pencils, oh no that would not do, an on line app Penzu seemed to work for awhile . But then what if someone finds them, reads them after I’m gone and be disappointed in some of my thoughts or actions. Times I’ve been really angry at a friend, or disappointed in love , or feel responsible for things I’ve done on not my best days. So in my armoir right now there are probably 30 or 40 journals , waiting for the pen to glide over the glossy , clean pages. I’m at a place in my life where I know I don’t have to be perfect, I can make a scribble and still go on, even if it’s scratched out. I saw the rose bush in bloom under my bedroom window today and felt gratitude . My faith has taught me there was but one perfect being and it wasn’t me. So the things I was afraid of from the messages I received growing up , are now gone. Mostly. Some die harder than others. But I believe I’ll take you up on your dare! The leather bound with a blue ribbon bookmark, or the denim with yellow cloth daisies on the cover? It doesn’t matter anymore. But the pen ..0h yes the pen will always be .05pt. Tul with blue ink!
I've been keeping a journal every day since the 30th of October, 2017 - it's such a gift to be able to look back on my life and all the good things that have happened over the years!
Oh I've been on the same write one day and then forget about it the next day boat for quite some time now. I really envy the teenage me who wrote meticulously every single day. I am glad that you stuck to it for a year and I hope that I get back to journaling again soon.
Journaling was a huge part of my life for over 20 years. There was always something to write about, thoughts, observations, events, big and small. Happenings of any kind. I never thought there was nothing to write about. I felt like I could never live without journaling. And then it slowly began to fade, until now where I can go half a year - a year without journaling and feel nothing about it. I usually end up forcing myself to write something then, just to keep some sort of connection to my past self. It's a part of me I want to revive!
I only keep a journal when I travel, but I know that it can be very habit forming. A friend retired 2 summers ago and started a journal on the first day of his "freedom." He's written in it daily ever since, sometimes at the length of several pages. I know this because he once read an entry to me aloud. It had to do with a party we had both attended. I think memorializing and processing our experiences is the true appeal of journal writing.
I've been writing a daily entry every single day for more than 7 years. My goal was to note continuity, how events flow. Also, I can provide an accurate weather report for any date beyond 2018.
I agree. I have gotten out of the habit of journaling too. For a long time I had a gratitude notebook in which I had to find three things every day, no matter how small. It’s worth doing on paper. We have to escape from our screens and the feel of a good pen is not replaceable by anything electronic.
I started the daily practice of Julia Cameron’s “morning pages” (3 longhand stream-of-consciousness pages first thing in the morning) when I stepped away from my sales career to take care of my mom ten years ago. It has been the most revelatory and transformational experience of my life! Long live longhand!
I have more or less always kept a journal, aside from a time of serious illness. I use cheap 200 page notebooks, always green covers. I do lots of my research in them as well as personal notes, so I go through 1-2 a month. I paginate and annotate in red and type up a table of contents to find what I need.
My first entry will be my joy in my roses!
This is so special because I recently planted a little rose shrub and I’ve been writing every day about its growth! There’s actually a lot to say! I’m so glad you’ve taken it up; keep me updated! 🤍
Hello, Your story could have been my story. I could buy a new home with the amount of money I have spent on beautiful journals, nice writing pens, my favorite still is Tul, leather bound , rice paper, linen , with the pretty page marker, without, cute covers, locks , the list goes on. What would happen though, if I made a mistake,a spelling error, I could not get past it. I’d tear the page out, leaving that raggedy edge in the book and heaven knows that would not do, so I’d ditch the $ 29. 99 journal from Barnes and Noble and buy another one. I’d try erasable pens, pencils, oh no that would not do, an on line app Penzu seemed to work for awhile . But then what if someone finds them, reads them after I’m gone and be disappointed in some of my thoughts or actions. Times I’ve been really angry at a friend, or disappointed in love , or feel responsible for things I’ve done on not my best days. So in my armoir right now there are probably 30 or 40 journals , waiting for the pen to glide over the glossy , clean pages. I’m at a place in my life where I know I don’t have to be perfect, I can make a scribble and still go on, even if it’s scratched out. I saw the rose bush in bloom under my bedroom window today and felt gratitude . My faith has taught me there was but one perfect being and it wasn’t me. So the things I was afraid of from the messages I received growing up , are now gone. Mostly. Some die harder than others. But I believe I’ll take you up on your dare! The leather bound with a blue ribbon bookmark, or the denim with yellow cloth daisies on the cover? It doesn’t matter anymore. But the pen ..0h yes the pen will always be .05pt. Tul with blue ink!
I've been keeping a journal every day since the 30th of October, 2017 - it's such a gift to be able to look back on my life and all the good things that have happened over the years!
Oh I've been on the same write one day and then forget about it the next day boat for quite some time now. I really envy the teenage me who wrote meticulously every single day. I am glad that you stuck to it for a year and I hope that I get back to journaling again soon.
The minimum I journal is three gratitudes a day. I find my making myself open the journal to do this I often write more.
Journaling was a huge part of my life for over 20 years. There was always something to write about, thoughts, observations, events, big and small. Happenings of any kind. I never thought there was nothing to write about. I felt like I could never live without journaling. And then it slowly began to fade, until now where I can go half a year - a year without journaling and feel nothing about it. I usually end up forcing myself to write something then, just to keep some sort of connection to my past self. It's a part of me I want to revive!
I only keep a journal when I travel, but I know that it can be very habit forming. A friend retired 2 summers ago and started a journal on the first day of his "freedom." He's written in it daily ever since, sometimes at the length of several pages. I know this because he once read an entry to me aloud. It had to do with a party we had both attended. I think memorializing and processing our experiences is the true appeal of journal writing.