When you think of journaling, do you picture a writer with ink-stained fingers scribbling in a notebook or someone writing down their feelings in a clothbound journal? Many times, I’ve heard someone say that they would never keep a journal or that they are just not the journaling type.
However, writing in a notebook is not just for writers. Throughout the centuries, many different people kept notebooks filled with a variety of subjects. Perhaps those who say that they could never journal have files on their computers filled with inspirational quotes, keep track of the birds they see in their backyards, or compile their garden plans and schemes in school memo books. All of these are ways of keeping track of our lives and marking the things that are important to us, which is another form of journaling.
Recently, I was flipping through a book I found, Remarkable Diaries, opens a new window, which is organized chronologically. Starting in ancient times and moving through the centuries until the 1900s, the author shows the many ways people have recorded their lives. Travelogues, art notebooks, war journals, an emperor’s daily activities, botany records, musical notations, exploration records, nature journals, spiritual thoughts, and even a whaling diary--people have jotted down the highs and lows of their lives, leaving them to teach and inspire anyone curious about that topic.
You can keep a record of your favorite pastimes, travels, hobbies, or other important facets of your life, too. Bound notebooks have been a favorite way of recording since the Middle Ages, and today, we have digital record-keeping available on our smartphones, as well.
You don’t have to be famous or organized or doing something world-shattering to journal. Here is a list of ideas of things you can record in a notebook or an app:
- your next trip
- your fitness journey
- things you see in nature
- a habit tracker
- a bullet journal for all the lists in your life
- a pregnancy journal
- a notebook with all of the plans and notes of a project you are working on
- a gratitude or mindfulness journal
- a place for all of your sketches and doodles for future art projects
If you are interested in journaling but don’t know where to start, check out this list to find how-to books, as well as examples of the different things you can record.
Whatever you choose to record, keeping track of your ideas, thoughts, days, and hobbies slows you down, allows you to be more present, and gives you an artifact that you can return to again and again for remembrance and inspiration. Keeping a notebook is an antidote for the anxiety and hurriedness of busy days and crammed weeks. Give it a try, and see if it helps you to focus and calm your mind, giving you a respite of tranquility and joy.
