Journal Writing: Time Well Spent

Journal writing has been around for centuries, in some form or another. Most people are familiar with at least one journal, whether it is from a family member, or a famous historical figure, such as in The Diary of Anne Frank. In our busy day and age, journal writing has changed, but it still remains as important as ever.

I have been keeping a journal since I was 8 years old. I remember getting my first journal. It was a beautiful bound book with pretty flowers on the cover. I could not wait to write something in it! Each time I filled up one of my books, I was so excited to get a new journal so I could start the next volume.

One of the best things about keeping a journal over the years is that you can look back and re-read your entries. I laugh out loud at the thoughts and feelings I had as an eight year old, or even as a sixteen year old. It is interesting to see how you have changed over the years. Reading in your journals can be an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

Another one of the benefits of keeping a journal is that your written entries can help you remember past events. I have experienced a lot of different things in my 23 years. There is no way I could remember them all on my own. By writing some of these memories down a person can go back and be reminded of them. I remember reading back in one of my journals and reading the entry I had written about my first kiss. I had forgotten many of the details, but as I read what I had written, it all came back to me and in a way I was able to re-live that moment.

Writing in a journal is also really beneficial because it allows you to write down your thoughts, along with the events that occurred. As I go back and read some of my entries it is interesting to read about the feelings I was having that go along with a particular event. One example of this is when I go back and read about first meeting my husband and when we were dating. In many of my journal entries I was very detailed and wrote about what we did, but the best part is reading about how I felt. As I read those entries it stirs up those emotions again and takes me back to that time. These entries bring back the full force of love and other emotions that I feel towards my husband.

Not only is journal writing beneficial for the writer personally, but it can also provide a lot of insight and enjoyment for people in the future. My mother has a copy of a journal written by my great-grandmother. My great-grandma died when I was young, so I did not have the opportunity to get to know her as well as I would have liked. Since her passing away I have been able to read her journal and in doing so I have gotten to know her better. It is so interesting to read about her views on life and how different her life experiences were compared to mine. I love reading her entries, which were written many years before I was born. It opens a window into a very different time and way of doing things. Reading her journal also helped me see her in a different light. Instead of seeing an older woman, whose body was slowing down, I was able to see a younger woman with lots of zest and enthusiasm for life.

Journal writing is as important now, as it has been in the past. We live fast paced lives and if we do not record something of ourselves, we may find that as we look back we forget those events that are truly important and have shaped us into who we are today. Fortunately, there are many ways we can keep a personal journal.

One way to keep a journal is the old fashioned way, using a diary, journal or other type of notebook. I would recommend picking a nicer book, as you will probably take better care of it than if you just write in a spiral notebook. Remember, you want something that will last through the years.

For some, hand writing journal entries might be difficult. Another suggestion I have is to type journal entries on the computer. Typing is a fast way to get your thoughts onto a page. Just be sure that you save your files in a safe place. I also recommend printing out your journal entries and keeping them in a binder, so you have a hard copy.

With the wide use of the internet for blogging, e-mail and other personal websites, another way to start a journal is to print off any of your entries from these types of sites. Because these have been written for a more public forum, I do not think these are the ideal types of journal entries, but it is a place to start.

If writing and typing just isn't for you, keeping a video diary may also be great for some. Make sure you record the date of your entry.Though keeping a journal does take time, it is time well spent. No matter how you keep track of important events, you will be glad you have kept some sort of record of your personal history.