At the beginning of October, I decided to kick off my experiment series by committing to 30 days of nightly journaling.
I’ve heard from so many people of all different types that they consider journaling a key component of success. It’s never been my thing, but with so many proponents I decided to give it a try.
Now halfway through the experiment, I feel good about this particular habit. I have been consistently writing for at least five minutes each night, or in some cases first thing in the morning if I just didn’t get to it the night before. I’m generally not big on writing out my emotions or working through problems on paper, and most of my writing has been recounting what I did throughout the day. However, there have been some times where I felt the urge to write down something related to the thoughts I had going on and let it flow when it felt right.
I have made a note in the journal when I’ve taken pictures of something relevant that day. I figure that will help strengthen the memories if I can tie both the words and images together. Of course that would be an easy thing to do with a digital medium, but I prefer the pen and paper method right now. There’s something to be said for how the act of writing helps with how much your remember vs. typing.
I’m still finding my groove with this practice. I need to add more dimensions to it as I go, including being more mindful about including gratitude in my writing. My early inclination is that I’ll continue with this habit beyond the 30-day mark.
I am also someone who remembers and appreciates things when they are handwritten (vs. typed/on a screen). I journaled a bit in college but lost the habit. I think I may need to pick it up again… 🙂
How did the journalling go? I committed to daily journaling a few years ago, and I find it really useful – I give myself permission to write as much or little as I want each and every day.
It worked out well. I’ve been continuing the practice, although sometimes I find myself a couple of days behind and playing catchup. I think It’ll definitely be nice a year from now to look back and see what was going on at that time.