The Benefits of Journaling Part 1

(I took a lot of liberties in fine-tuning this post because the original poster speaks English as a second language, so he had several grammatical issues. However, I kept the core post. -Derrick Mills)

There are still people who keep journaling, although this tradition seems to be out of fashion nowadays. Many think this activity would not belong to the 21st century anymore. Nothing could be further away from the truth, and I want to show you why that is the case.

We are already overwhelmed by all kinds of writings and our time is very precious. Therefore, I only want to mention the most important points about keeping a journal, the ones that really have a value for us, without becoming too excessive.

So, let’s have a look. What are the benefits of journaling?

Responsibility and accountability

Writing a diary offers us the possibility to be accurately informed about our own existence. If we take this job seriously, we cannot hide and have to face what we have done and what we haven’t. We have written words right before our eyes and have an overview of our successes, our victories, our shortcomings, and our failures.

Orientation

A journal can work as a compass. It helps us to orientate ourselves in our life. We find out if we are still on the right path or if we have to change the direction we are heading. Our written record enables us to draw conclusions about our true goals and values in life, something that is not so easy if done directly. Journaling is an ideal way of indirectly finding out about them--as long as we don’t judge every thought immediately, and just lay down the facts, at least in the beginning.

Analysis of cause and effect

A journal helps us to find out about the causes and the following effects in our life. We get empowered and cannot honestly call ourselves victims anymore, for we see that we create our happiness, as well as our misfortune on our own. Nobody is to blame but us. We will not believe anymore that an evil fate is determining us. However, we are the masters of our destiny. If things don’t work out the way we wish, we alone have to take complete responsibility. This can be (and will be) very painful in many cases. However, if we face how things really are, we can’t come to another conclusion.

Words and deeds

It is usual that between what people say--and what they do--exists a difference that can be quite prominent in some cases. However, if this difference gets too extensive, we face more or fewer difficulties in our life. If we write down what we think and compare it to our actions, we'll find out about the level of consistency and efficiency in our life. This shall not be a reproach, for to propagate something and doing something else is very common. Nevertheless, the difference between the two offers us a hint where our weak areas can be found and where we have to improve.

Journaling as a tool for guidance

What most people don’t think about is that a diary can be used as an instrument of guidance in our life. On the one side, we possess a lot of data. On the other hand, we also have a tool of control. It’s very similar to having a budget and a financial plan. Having an income statement is essential for every business (but it is orientated on the past). However, a budget enables one to look into the future and to know how one wants to allocate his/her resources. In retrospect, we have no excuse and have to stand up to the way we used them. This tool can become a hard judge for us, but it also can be very powerful in helping us in doing what is necessary to reach our goals.

Contact with reality

We live in reality, more or less. The more we live in the real world and are conscious of it, the better our chances of success are. Too many people think that facing reality would not be paramount, and enjoy their illusions and dream-worlds. However, it is an illusion to think by doing so one could ever be profoundly happy. The fact is the world has its own laws, and they do exist independently from what we believe about them. Journaling is one way to come into closer contact with reality than if we only rely on our thoughts without writing them down. This is a point that is unfortunately taken into consideration rarely.

Retrospective

This is an issue for the older ones among us. If we look back at our life, writing a journal enables us to know how things really had been in the past, instead of only relying on personal remembrance. Journaling offers us the possibility to view our life more realistically and to get a broader picture of what happened. We are not so seduced to have illusions about our thoughts and emotions. In this regard, a journal is like an honest friend, who confronts us “brutally” with the reality of the past (as long as we take it seriously, of course).

We have to give up the idea that writing a journal would be something for "weaklings” or a silly habit of little girls that don’t know better and who begin every post with "Dear Diary.” In fact, journaling is a useful practice seen quite often with people who take life very seriously and are working hard on themselves to improve (like monks or nuns for example). People that want to put their life into a bigger picture that enables them to distinguish between right and wrong. Moreover, to make it easier to concentrate on the things that are important to them in their life while keeping away all the garbage that only costs time, energy, and offers no benefit at all.

I think we have to start respecting the past much more (also our own past) and focusing on what really counts in our life. We are surrounded by artificial worlds all the time, and it is time to concentrate on the real things in the real world. This is one reason I started this blog, to help people get into closer contact with reality and stay away from the illusions that may look beautiful, but have nothing substantial to offer. These are the honest thoughts of a man that's interested in your benefit. - Oliver Maerk, Courtesy of Freedom, Power, and Wealth (November 4, 2015)

(You can read more of Oliver Maerk’s posts at the aforecited link. You can also pick-up his book here.)

(Disclosure: This website may be compensated for sales of products linked to.)

(If you enjoyed this post, then please consider subscribing to stay up-to-date with my latest postings and sharings. Also, please share and support Worldly Game.)