by Marina Shemesh

Created on: July 15, 2008   Last Updated: July 22, 2008

I was inspired to start journaling when I read Julia Cameron's book the "The Artist Way". She recommended keeping a journal as a way of overcoming artist block. As I started writing, it soon became clear to me that there were also other benefits to journaling.

The hardest part of journaling is to make time for it. One has to decide which part of the day you are going to write and then refuse to compromise this time for yourself. Just as you have time to take a shower, put on make-up or have a cup of coffee you should creative a time for journaling.

The best time to write is in the mornings. It can be that there is a thread of a dream you want to pin down. Maybe something happened the previous day and you want to "talk" about it with yourself because you didn't sleep properly.

If you only have time to write in your journal during the day, say during your lunch break, that is fine too. Some people only have time in the evenings. It is more important to write than fretting that you do not have time to write in the mornings. Just try to write at more or less the same time everyday. This will help you to make your journaling to become a habit.

Try and write at least four pages. The size of the pages are up to you. I am comfortable with a plain A5 size dairy. My four pages get filled up quickly and yet I feel that I have managed to say everything that I wanted to. You will find that there are times that you will write much more. Try and write at least four pages though. Especially in the beginning when it is still hard to get in the habit of journaling.

You must try and do your journaling in your own handwriting. Seeing the words flow out of your pen on a piece of paper will make it that much more personal. Just think how exotic you will look at the local coffee shop where everybody else are tapping away at a laptop. If your journal is small enough, you can carry it with you and have it handy to jot down any brilliant observations.

Try not to think too much about what you are writing. Journaling should be about writing what is in your heart and not your head. Once you have established writing routine, you will see that your pen fly over the paper without you thinking much about what you have written.

Write something that has happened to you if you find it hard to start. Your cat died. Your boss yelled at you. You have made a new friend. Then carry on by writing about how it made you feel. It is your journal and you should write about you are experiencing. Who cares about what you had for supper.

To really enjoy the benefits of journaling, I would suggest waiting a few days to read what you have written. You can come back and think who is this person who complains so much. Or you can be impressed by your observations or how you handled a certain situation.

The benefits of journaling is not in what you are writing, but that you are writing. Putting your thoughts and feelings on paper will make them more clear to you. Reading back what you have written will help you to understand yourself. If you have not yet kept a journal, I strongly recommend that you start doing so. It will help you to grow and teach you to be who you want to be.

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