I really want to start journaling. I really, really like the idea of it. In my head, the idea of writing my innermost thoughts and feelings on a page of paper seems so--I don't know--relaxing and literary. I imagine the worlds greatest thinkers must have written in journals. In my head, I can see myself sitting at a beautiful desk (that I don't own and probably won't until the kids are old enough not to destroy it), writing in beautiful handwriting (my own handwriting is chicken scratch) in a beautiful leather bound book that my children will treasure long after my death.
Okay, I know that I'm probably seriously over-romanticizing it, but getting things out of my system and onto a page does seem like an incredibly helpful tool for goal setting and just general mental well being. But to be honest, I have an incredibly difficult time journaling. Maybe you do to. Personally there seems to be a million (neurotic) little reasons why I don't journal:
1. I don't want to write in the really pretty book I've picked to be my journal, but practical notebooks don't seem worthy of being a journal.
2. I really want to write my true feelings down but I don't want someone else to read them.
3. I get started and write daily, then forget for a few days and by the time I remember I feel incredibly guilty and give up.
4. Who is going to burn these journals if I die?
5. If someone does read this, I want them to think I'm a fabulous writer, so I spend more time editing my thoughts than getting them down on paper.
6. I can't write fast enough.
7. Seriously, I can't write in that really pretty notebook, in fact I'm just going to put it with the other empty notebooks on the shelf.
8. I can barely read my own handwriting.
9. What do I do on the days when my schedule consisted of keeping the kids alive and doing laundry?
10. Do I really want my kids reading this 50 years from now?
If I've come up with 10 reasons, I'm sure many of you have as well. I finally had to give up the idea of a traditional journal. Something that works for one person (writing a regular account of their feeling and actions) does not work for all. Traditional journaling did not work for me at all. Journaling can be a good tool for self discovery, but only if it works for you. It shouldn't make you feel guilty or kick your OCD into overdrive.
If you are interested in journaling, it's important to pick a format that works for you. I write poems. It doesn't happen every day, but it happens enough that I can come up with several a month. Poems work for me because I can work on them over time and edit, edit, edit. I don't ever have to force myself to sit down and I don't ever feel guilty about not writing them.
Find something you enjoy and use it as a tool for recording your thoughts and emotions. Here are a couple of alternatives to traditional journaling for you to consider:
1. Sketching or painting. Like poetry, this can be done when the mood strikes you. You can choose a special book or keep a portfolio where you keep your drawings. If you like the idea of having a book, but don't want to be restricted to the same paper size, consider scanning your finished work and creating a book through one of the many photography websites such as MPIX, Shuttefly, or Snapfish.
2. Electronic journaling. Many people can go a whole day not picking up a pen, but find themselves in front of a screen several times a day. If that is you, why not move your journaling efforts to your computer or smartphone? Your laptop or home computer is the perfect place to keep a journal--whether it's a simple word document or even an online blog. And if you're like me and attached to your phone, there are tons of journaling apps, both free and paid, available on both IPhone and Droid devices. One of my favorites is an app called "My Wonderful Days" which is available in light (free) and full (paid) versions.
3. Scrapbooks. Maybe you aren't super crafty or up for buying into tons of supplies, but scrapbooks don't have to be the complicated, expensive, time-consuming project they have become. Long before the intricate books of today, our grandmothers kept simple scrapbooks, full of bits and pieces of their lives--photos, newspaper clippings, programs, etc. They didn't need ribbons or cut out shapes on printed papers--a simple ticket stub, photo or other memento pasted onto a page, with a few words written to the side worked well then and still can be a good way to get out the emotions associated with an event.
4. Catchers. Sometimes an idea hits at an inconvenient time. I know that I personally often times find myself mulling over things as I'm stuck in standstill traffic, waiting for the kid to get out of school or in line at the bank. For people like this, I suggest carrying around a little spiral notebook or note cards and writing when the mood strikes. The slips of paper can be organized in a small filing box (if they are uniform in size) or if you're one to write on receipts and post it notes, consider sticking them in plastic paper protectors or scanning them to your computer to keep a chronological record.
In the end, how you journal isn't important. Save yourself the angst and give up the image in your head of journaling and just do it. Any journal that helps you work out your emotions and grow is a valid journal--make it work for you, don't work for your journal.
