Last week I received a kind email from someone that was asking for tips about how to journal.
I was a little surprised but I also felt a little humbled. People have commented to me more than once that they notice my little moleskin journal and how I carry it with me at all times. It was back in 2003 when I started journaling for a class (which I now teach at the same university), and simply never gave it up. Over the years I have developed a few tips/tricks/tactics about how to journal. So here you go, take and run with any one or all of these!
“Don’t Journal as You Can’t”
Father James Martin says, “Don’t pray as you can’t.” This means, don’t try to pray exactly how someone else does. The same applies to journaling. Test out how others do it but feel no obligation to continue imitating them, feel free to tweak it according to your own personality. Find the way that works for you. Want to write a poem? A prayer? Something you wish you could say to someone but can’t? Go for it.
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This is a basic principle for self-examination. Is there something that annoys me that other people do in the news/in my life? That would be 3rd person observation. Journal about that. Then, shift to what I would say to them personally. That would be 2nd person conversation. Journal about that. Then, shift to what I think God might be saying to me. That would be 1st person transformation/evaluation. Journal about that. Basically, everything that annoys us about other people is likely something that our subconscious or unconscious has been trying to address for a long time. So, rather than project our frustrations at others, we simply journal to redirect that energy for our own transformation rather than the judgment or condescension of others.
Give non-judgmental witness to whatever emotions are happening or not happening within you.
Sometimes I sit down, not knowing what I am feeling or why I am feeling a particular way. In my better moments I choose to give myself a “ruthless and courageous inventory” of all that might be swirling around in me. I do not censor my words or emotions, and sometimes all I do is list out all the unsaid things that are stressing me out. Sometimes my journal entries are simply giving witness, but not tying up any loose ends, to all that is happening within. Do not deny, repress, judge, justify, or joke about anything that you are able to get out. The point is to get it out.
Get the Wisdom and the Foolishness Out.
When I journal, it helps to clarify my thoughts. Occasionally I am surprised at the wisdom that I just wrote, and sometimes I am surprised at the foolishness. The wisdom I choose to keep, the foolishness I choose to dismantle, disregard, curtail as best as I am able.
Complete Randomness: Quotes, Words, a Passing Thought.
Don’t feel as though you even need to explain or expound upon why the random entry was needing to be written down. You can if you want but there is no pressure.
Journal Entries Can be Genreless.
Of course, you can keep different journals for different reasons. This one for emotions, this one for ideas, this one for poetry, this one for dreams, etc. My journals are full of all of these things.
Carry It Everywhere.
If it works for you, it works for you. If it doesn’t, that is okay. But I will say, it is easier to keep a journal and write in it if you keep it with you all day long. That random 3 min before a meeting? Those 7 min waiting for the train? That 20 min that you sometimes spend watching Netflix? There is actually plenty of time to journal if you know how to recognize when you have a pocket of time.
Give it a shot, let me know how it goes.
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