The Importance of Journaling

We live in a world of digital indulgences.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. These outlets are great for expressing the good in the world but lets face it. Most of us don’t have any way of expressing the bad in life. I mean seriously, who wants to broadcast the bad to the world on facebook.  Even the few that do get called out for “doing it for attention”. That is why a journal is important in todays society.  I have been keeping a journal for the past 5 months and it has helped me learn, and grow more than ever.  Journaling doesn’t have to be this “dear diary” book that you dread writing in every single day.  It can be a physical book or even your notes app in your phone.

“But what if I don’t know what to write about?” “Where do I start?” Below I have listed some writing prompts that you can use to get started.  Pour out those negative emotions, pour out the good ones as well. Personal I used a hard cover sketch book as my everyday journal. I can write, draw, and really brain dump what I am feeling with the freedom of completely blank pages. I owe this method to my high school art teacher Mr.Tucker. His take on our sketch books wasn’t just about drawing in them. But to brain dump EVERYTHING into it.  It makes the whole thing more personal and allows your creative mind to flourish.

You don’t have to journal everyday, you can do it here and there, create todo lists, journal when you feel sad, journal when you feel happy. Doing it in time will allow you to look back on what your past self has gone through and how you have grown from it. Personally I don’t even journal every single day. Some do, it is completely personal preference.

Enough of me blabbing about journaling, here are the prompts that I found to be the best to get you started on your book of growth.

1. Write about a time where you’re feeling so down in life, and what did you learn from it? Many times, reflecting back on your past is crucial because it allows you to learn from your mistakes, as well as appreciate all the good things that happened in your life. As much as we try not to dwell on our failures, though, sometimes we benefit more from doing so. It’s important to acknowledge when you’ve messed up, even if it’s only once in awhile. You’ll probably find that you end up getting over whatever issues were bothering you.

4. Describe an event that made you realize that “life” is not perfect. The idea behind this question is to remind ourselves that no matter how hard we try to make life perfect, it’s still going to fall apart at some point. Sometimes we fail at making it right. However, failure shouldn’t stop us from trying again. We learn from these experiences and hopefully succeed the next time around.

5. Do you ever wish you’d been more daring when you were younger? Most guys don’t actually care too much about risks unless there’s something at stake. But, taking risks now will pay off later on in your life. There’s nothing wrong with having a little courage every now and then. It keeps us moving forward into adulthood.

6. Why should anyone else listen to anything you have to say? No matter how confident you may appear, nobody deserves to hear your opinion than you. You have to remember that you’re talking to a human being. And, we all need validation and support at certain points in our lives. So make sure that before you open your mouth for the first time, you ask yourself why anyone would take advice from you.

7. Have you ever broken a promise to somebody? If so, what happened? Promises can be quite serious to most of us. It makes sense since we expect that someone else would rely on us and trust us. When we break those promises, it can create major problems between us and the person we broke it to. It’s usually best just to keep them in mind while making new ones. Don’t let your word become worthless by breaking it.

8. What is the single most important thing you could do right now, if you really wanted to improve the way you see yourself? The truth is, there isn’t just one thing we could change about ourselves. It seems like there’s an endless list of improvements to make, that never end. However, if we focus on working on one main area, it’ll go a long way towards improving overall self-esteem. For example, if you want to get healthier, start exercising regularly. If you want to lose weight, eat less junk food. If you want to look better, wear clothes that fit properly. Etcetera.

9. From where would you say you’re happiest? It’s difficult to answer without sounding silly or getting personal. After thinking about this question, it was obvious that my happiness comes from simple things such as a quiet moment alone, reading a book, having quality friends, etc. They’re easy things that cost nothing yet bring great joy to our daily lives.

10. How do you express gratitude on a day to day basis? We all know that gratitude goes a very long way. In order to feel thankful for everything and everybody, be grateful for the blessings that are already inside your own house. Start saying thank you to people randomly. If you wait until the situation requires thanks, you won’t feel motivated to give it.