October 29, 2012

Keeping a Journal: Kick-Ass or Kinda Barfy?


Do you keep a diary or journal?

Research says keeping a journal fights stress and depression, plus it can be a powerful tool for sorting things out, achieving goals, solving problems, arriving at insights, and improving relationships.

And yeah, I recently offered some tips for keeping food and exercise journals, but that's not what I'm talking about. This time I mean the old-fashioned, Dear-Diary-here's-what's-on-my-mind sort of thing.

You would think as a neurotic, over-thinking, narcisstic blogger, that journaling would be a no-brainer, right? Something I would have started when I was 6 years old? But no. Way too damn self-conscious.  It's only been about 9 months, and it's been... well... interesting.

So does anyone else feel like a total ass keeping a journal, or is it just me?



All I can figure is that perhaps I'm doing it wrong?

Dear Diary,

Wow, looks like I missed a few days!

So here is a list of things I want to get done today for sure!

1. Thing.
2-10. Many more things.

Oh dear.  This looks exactly like the To-Do list I wrote last time. Did I really not cross anything off?

But let's not call that laziness. Being negative doesn't help anything, right?  It probably just reflects a growing realization of what's truly important in life. Which is obviously stuff other than "being productive."

And actually, abandoning my To Do list yet again was cool, because it means I was living in the now, which that Tolle guy on Oprah says I should be doing instead of thinking about the past or the future. Although I guess thinking all about yesterday's now, which is technically then, is not being in the now now. Crap!

Oooh, I just had a thought that puts everything in perspective!  It's a BIG THOUGHT so it should be in all capital letters. And I have some other related ideas that are inspirational enough to require some underlining, because really, I want to remember all the fascinating implications later on.

In fact, it's such an epiphany, let me turn it into a long metaphor about a rainy night and a road full of potholes and a broken-down car and orange traffic cones! And maybe if I spend a good fifteen minutes pondering it and refining it and reworking it and then forgetting about it entirely by tomorrow, that will somehow address the fact that I never get anything done. Yay me for being so creative!

And here are a bunch of things I feel grateful for!  And here are some long term goals I don't want to forget about! And here are some things I did well and some things I keep f--cking up.

Whoops, I mean, here are the lessons I'm learning. And isn't it awesome that the Universe is teaching me these lessons right now, and so the f--cking up is really exactly what's supposed to be happening?  Hooray for f--cking up totally on schedule!

Ooh, another metaphor comes to mind... It's a giant pinball machine... no wait, it's a chessboard... no I think it's Chutes and Ladders! Perhaps I should spend a bit more time fleshing that out.  Because one day maybe I'll share it with a coaching client or blog about it!  Or just come to the realization that it's either obvious and unoriginal or makes totally no sense.

Damn,I sound so moronic when I converse with myself. Plus, the spelling mistakes and the grammar.... Let me go back and edit and clean it up some.

Ah yes, that was an excellent use of time, I feel so much better now.

OMG, what was that sound? Footsteps?

Quick, close the Word document and put something else on the screen!  Abort! Abort! What if my beloved spouse who has to hear all this crap all day long anyway were to see that I was writing it in my journal? What if she were to catch an overenthusiastic exclamation point and see me for the doofy sap that I am???!!!!

Whew, that was close!

Well, dear diary, that's all for today.  I am so grateful for all the insight and optimism you bring to my life. Diary, you rock!

Holy crap, how did it get to be noon?

Diary, you suck!

See you tomorrow!
So have any of you guys every kept a journal?  What do you think about the whole idea?

52 comments:

  1. Well, I have a log book for important computer systems information I need to keep. I have several folders on my computer of article I should read more folders of ideas I have emailed myself, countless important post its and a box of magazine articles I have torn out and should read. I think a diary would be another mess of information I can't decypher, organize or find time for! I think journalling is only for the organized mind.
    I do rather well though with the food and exercise tracking as I have an app on my phone that reads bar codes and gives me check marks if I behave myself! Maybe when they combine Pacman and journalling I will pick it up!

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    1. Hey Cindy, what an excellent idea! I think a video game with an action component, yet that required the user to articulate a thought here or there in response to a question... that could work and would be way more fun than a blank page of a wordprocessing document.

      See? Even THINKING about journaling is making you all brilliant and creative!

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  2. I have tried to keep up a journal at various times befre. THe problem I run into is that while on some days it would be really good for reflections and what not, on other days it became like a chore to me which isn't the point. My favorite part of journaling is that it provides a means to remembering all the little things that don't always make it into our long term memory.

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    1. Wait, you remember to go back in your journal to read the things you would have forgotten? You're way ahead of me!

      Actually, I just tend to skip the days I really don't feel like it, but so far, if a few days go by I tend to find I actually WANT to reconnect with it. Though often when I need it most, because there's something I'm trying to avoid... those are the days I skip! Work in progress, alas.

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  3. I kept a diary when I was younger....it was a good way to keep track of what I was going through.
    I do keep a gardening journal.
    Oh, and a journal where I record stuff about the cows.
    And a To-Do list.
    But a personal diary? Who has time?
    (Loved your comment about your rusty French on my blog post!)

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    1. That may be, Bag Lady, but I bet the journal where you record stuff about the cows is WAY more interesting than my journal!

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  4. I don't keep a journal, but ever since my kids were babies, I've written tiny bits on the calendar, and I now have a box of calendars that I could go back and read, which might be fun to do this Christmas, when they are home. I also blog (oh REALLY???)(LOL) and while it's not completely full of my every deep thought, it's another nice thing to look back and see where I was XX number of years ago. Plus I've kept a training journal ever since I started running. So I guess I do journal/diary...huh.

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    1. Love the calendar/journal idea! And blogging, if done right, really could function as a journal... I just don't happen to blog in such a useful way.

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  5. I'm lousy at keeping a diary. I think it's because I hate it. Okay, not hate, but can't see the point. I had one as a teen. I tried. Gave it a good shot. Had many entries of "Dear Diary, It rained today."
    In Journalism School I had some class in Hog-knows-what where I had to keep a daily journal and hand it in as part of the mark. I thought it was stupid and it put me right off.

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    1. You had to hand in your journal? That is SO WRONG!

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  6. A few years ago, I took a class based on the book, "The Vein of Gold" by Julia Cameron. One of the exercises was what she termed "daily pages" where we wrote a page or so every day about most anything that was on our minds. It was a good thing to do. Over the years I've gone through periods where I done this more than others based on need. One of my titles for folders of this material are:

    "Present Shock / Future Growth" :-)

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    1. I did daily pages for a while too! But more as a writing exercise rather than a journal. Such insipid crap came out it scared me away from writing for awhile!

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  7. I'm pretty sure humans complicate things way more than is necessary. Here are my two life rules and I don't worry about any others:

    1. Help as many people as I can today.
    2. Have as much fun as humanly possible today.

    That's it. Truthfully, keeping a journal would stress me out and THAT I do not need.

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    1. With such a straightforward life philosophy, doesn't sound like you need a journal to figure things out!

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    2. What nice rules. I will have to remember them.

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  8. Off and on, i've tried.

    Since i'll never be famous, i have finally realized it doesn't really matter. ;)

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    1. Well you're pretty good about blogging daily about real life events, so that's journaly enough, right?

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  9. My workout blog is my diary of sorts. It does give me a kick in the ass when I find I'm slacking off. I feel accomplished when I can write out what I've done. It's probably not the most interesting to read, but it does help me. I don't journal food tho - that just makes me obsessive...

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    1. I wish I was as disciplined about tracking workouts, I tend to be a bit haphazard. That's great that it serves as a good source of motivation!

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  10. I kept diaries all during my teens. It was a way to sort out my feelings I think; I remember getting upset over things and writing it all out in my diary. Though I did write good things too. In my early 20's I think I decided they were too ridiculous and I wouldn't want anyone finding them so I burned them in the wood stove. Sounds dramatic but I don't actually think it was. I can't decide whether I regret that - I suspect a lot of it was silly, but there might have been some good memories in there too.

    Anyway, as an adult I've never been able to make it work. Too many other things I would rather do I think. Every once in a while though, if something comes up that I can't work out or come to terms with, I will write things down. I think it helps me to organize my thoughts. But it's infrequent, and after the event I don't keep any of it, so I don't suppose that counts as journaling.

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    1. Burned diaries in a wood stove? That does sound like a dramatic moment. I sort of wish I'd kept a diary as a teenager and held on to it, though I'm sure I'd cringe reading it. But that time feels so distant I'd be curious to know how I thought back then. Pre-internet, so can't go back and find any traces of anything I thought or wrote. Bet kids now will never have that problem!

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    2. I totally burned my "juvenile journals" too! They were so melodramatic! I knew I didn't want anyone to read them.

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  11. Nope. Never been good at that diary/journal thing. No matter how many times teachers tried to force it on me. When I did The Artist's Way, I would end up with my eyes closed into slits, my head on the desk, and words reduces to mere scribbles on the paper at the end of the first minute or two!

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    1. Sounds like you have a great cure for insomnia if you ever need one!

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  12. I kept journals for year and just recently shredded them all. 1) I do not want anyone to read them after I am dead and 2) They were downright embarassing.

    I don't journal anymore, but I do blog so I guess that is somewhat of a "journal" don't you think?

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    1. I definitely think that counts!

      And if I drop dead suddenly, I'm hoping the flimsy password protection on my word document is enough of a deterrent to protect my strange ramblings, but even should someone get in, they'd be dead too of boredom before they got too far.

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  13. I have tried this in the past.. I don't think it helped me although I know it works for others. Me, I am afraid I will die before I can destroy it! ;)

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    1. OK, yet another vote for me to pick a trickier password before I get run over by a truck or something.

      And your blog is so inspirational you probably don't need a journal to sort things out!

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  14. It is sporadic, but yes, I keep a diary/journal. I have several of them going back to when I was about 11 years old! (That's 47 years of tidbits of my life!) I do read the older ones now and then too. Depending on what is going on in my life, puts a slant on how I read the old journals. I have never wished I did not keep a diary. I HAVE wished I had written more often in mine though. :)

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    1. Apparently we started at about the same age. I don't read the early ones often, since they're handwritten, and my handwriting is so bad that even I have trouble reading it. For a while after I got a computer, I worked at entering the handwritten pages (starting backwards from where I was) but I only got a couple of years entered before I started working full time instead of part time and gave up.

      Mary Anne in Kentucky

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    2. Sherri and Solarity, I'm so impressed! I don't think I've kept up with ANYTHING I used to do at eleven except eat too much chocolate.

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  15. I've been keeping a journal since sixth grade. I never tried to write every day, although for the past decade or so that has mostly been the case, computers making writing so much easier. It has gotten very dull recently, being merely a list of what I got done, with commentary; no more reviews of plays or concerts. The deadly dull, but useful, part is that I've been putting down every morning exactly when I got to sleep and how many times I can remember waking up and when. This at least allows me to see if my sleep has been worse than usual. But I also describe the weather and the seasons, and events around me. After more than forty years of journal I no longer read through several years at a time, but I usually look back at a least one recent year to remind myself of the past.

    In reference to Dr. Mark's rules, I wouldn't do it if it weren't fun. Writing has always been fun, and a journal needs neither a plot nor any research!

    Mary Anne in Kentucky

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    1. Wow, you're an inspiration on the journal keeping front. I hope to keep up with it long enough to have something to look back on.

      And I hope someday we get a Zeo giveaway and that you win... it does all the sleep tracking for you, including how much deep sleep and REM you got as well as how often and for how long you woke up. Although the headband aspect might be tricky for sensitive skin...

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  16. I've talked to so many people that swear by journaling for a multitude of reasons. I've done a bit myself and ended up throwing them out so no one ever sees them! *yikes*

    By the way, thanks for the word "doofy" -- I always learn something when I visit :D

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    1. Ah yes, Cranky Fitness is such an educational site!

      And I don't think I could keep an physical journal either. Bits and bytes hiding in some server somewhere feels safer somehow.

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  17. Okay prepare yourself. Total Dorkfish over here. I keep a word document with snippets from everyday for my Project 365 (a photo everyday, along with journaling to go with it). I have also kept a personal journal on and off. Mostly when I'm feeling discombobulated. In fact - I just ordered a few new journals to replenish my stock. One thing I DON'T do: save them. After about two or three years they hit the recycle bin.

    Also: I do believe my 3 years of Project 365 have killed my desire to blog. *sigh*

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    1. Dorkfish! I must steal this wonderful new noun!

      Love the idea of Project 365, and it actually sounds like it combines the best of journaling and blogging most efficiently. Very clever!

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  18. My blog definitely falls as a form of a journal, although it is with the public in mind it is also with some great memories for me and more than I would ever write in a journal.

    I do journal fairly regularly, but it is way shorter than when I was younger and the intention is very different. Sometimes I want to track mood, stress, and sleep for example. This week I needed gratitude back so the "I am grateful for..." statements are back. I am rarely drawn anymore to detailing my day or emotions.

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    1. Seems like a great use of the blog/journal combo, and from a selfish perspective, love all the events and pictures you share.

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    2. Thanks! I love other people to enjoy them too. :)

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  19. I regularly write a journal...Have for about 20 something years now...I still write in paper journals...the pen and paper somehow keeps the connection for me. I have all my journals stored in boxes. My kids have been given instructions that they go with me when I pass on.

    I try to write several mornings a week...following the inspiration of Julia Cameron's morning page...it helps to start my day with a fresh start

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    1. Wow 20 years?! That's awesome. Sounds like you're not alone with the pen and paper approach, seems to resonate with a lot of folks. I like the ability to delete and spare myself the crappy handwriting but I can sure see the allure of the old fashioned way.

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  20. Oh Crabby, I find my journal entries resemble yours more often than not. Although I start off wanting to be deep and emotional, I usually end up somewhere in left field with my ramblings going on and on about my grocery list, car repairs, housework. It ends up looking more like a to-do list than anything else. Maybe it means I finaly have my life together - nah, just a short attention span.

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    1. Well, I say we get tons of credit for trying. And who knows what "left field" ramblings might spur unconscious insights and actually shift things in a helpful direction? At least that's my hope!

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  21. I thought I have never kept a journal in my life, but then I remember that I’ve wrote some sentences about myself and somehow this journal has become a list of interesting quotes. It didn’t last so long. I think that keeping a journal helps us recognizing our dreams and goals and they don’t change so much over the years. So, it might be a good idea, but I sincerely doubt that I will want to do it again. The funniest part is that I’ve helped a lot of people to start writing a journal. Maybe, I was trying to convince myself through them. Crabby, you made me think about this…:)

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  22. I find my diary is an incredible way for me to look at how I've progressed - both in terms of my goals and how I see my body image. Once you've got a few months of pages it's extremely rewarding and motivating to see how much progress you've actually made.

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  23. Kick-Ass! I keep what's called an Action Journal - it benefits my work, my life and my fitness.

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  24. I tried journalling as a child/teen. Bored myself and when I read it several years ago, I tore it up. Abysmal handwriting, teen angst, typical embarrassing fodder. I have tried recently to keep track of my food and frankly just can't keep it up for more than a week or two. I guess I am just not cut out to journal.

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  25. gratitude journal yes.
    regular journal Id love to mock :-) but Ive blogged for almost 12 years...so apparently I can not.

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  26. Haha I totally feel like an idiot journelling. Looking back on certain times in my life I wish I had kept one. I'm not organised enough! I definitely think if I could it would be helpful!

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  27. There have been times that I wish I had a journal, but times I wish I had not! I actually threw my old journals from middle school away - I am probably the minority on this one.

    As an adult, I do wish that I had journaled more.

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