Journaling doesn’t seem like a manly thing to do. With movies like Bridget Jones’s Diary, it has been portrayed in mainstream media as a woman’s hobby. It also seems like something a young girl would do. However, journaling can have great rewards for men too! Many times we do our best to write daily, but we are writing on top of crazy days and crazier emotions. For those that have families, finally sitting down to write the thoughts in your head can feel like forever. For others, a hectic work schedule can leave you without time to write anything for days. Here’s another problem; when time is short, things can quickly become frustrating when you can’t get the words to flow. This is why you should take start your writing sessions with journaling. It helps more than you think. In fact here are my three reasons to start journaling.
Clear Your Mind
Journaling every day is more than just writing down what you did that day. You are also writing down your emotions, your thoughts, and your problems. It is the best way to get out all the things clouding your mind and preventing you from writing what you really want to get out. It’s also a great way to release frustration and anger in a positive way. Try using lots of adjectives and adverbs when journaling, you may need to revisit that entry someday to help you write a story or two. Sometimes it’s best to get up early or to stay up late and write. While everyone is sleeping (or before you have to get ready for work) you can find the needed time to begin journaling, thus writing your short stories or novels.
Keep Track of Things
Journaling can be used to keep track of your progress. This is especially true if you are writing down your goals and dreams. As things occur or are denied, you should write it down so that you can write how you overcame a plethora of no’s. You can remember how many times you had to do something before you achieved your goal. This can be encouraging to others as well as yourself. When you release that particular information, others will see the reality of what it takes to accomplish the type of goals you have achieved. They will know realistically what to do and what to look out for. It will become an inspiration. It will also become an inspiration to you too! When you’re faced with another obstacle, you can look back on what you’ve achieved and what it took to achieve it and realize that each fight makes you stronger. You’ll realize that you made it last time and you can build yourself up to try again. With a strategy like this, writers should never feel the need to give up.
Inspire Authenticity
Journaling can also help you to write more accurately. Sometimes writers try to force emotions and dialogue in their short stories and novels, and it ends up feeling forced and becomes unrealistic. That can turn off a reader quickly. Using your actual situations from your past journal entries will keep authenticity in whatever you’re writing. Remember to always write in detail, even minute things that you feel aren’t important. They may come in handy when you have to write about something similar. Yes, things like how tall that building was, the color of the shoes of the person in front of you, or anything else you just happened to notice.
Journaling really isn’t a little girl’s hobby anymore. It’s quite relaxing and freeing. It gets your thoughts flowing and breaks through the brick wall of writer’s block. It can add to your short stories and novels in ways that will boost the content. Pick up a composition notebook or open a new folder on Google drive and start journaling today. You’ll be glad you did.