What's A Journal And Why You Should Be Keeping At Least One?

You've probably heard of the phrase journaling in your English class growing up. The practice is not a new concept at all. In fact, it's been around for centuries as a way to record facts and create clarity in the brain. Journaling serves a variety of purposes when it comes to the human lifestyle.

Why Should You Invest In Journaling?

Before we get into the various types of journals that you can keep, it's important to grasp the concept of why you should be journaling in the first place. A journal is meant to be a private place where you can express whatever you like without fear of judgment from anyone else. It doesn't matter if you're trying to keep track of your weight loss journey or you're taming your stress levels by writing about unsatisfying events that happen throughout the day, your journal is a place where you can express being you.

The Top Benefits Of Daily Journaling

Stress Relief - All too often people find themselves bottling up frustration by thinking of a bad situation over and over. Journaling can help you to relieve that stress and frustration by letting out your feelings about the event. This can help you to quickly move on and focus your efforts on more productive habits.
Organization - Being organized can help make your life go smoother. You can organize your thoughts, progress, and anything else you want with a daily journal.
Self-Discipline - Just like starting a regular exercise habit can enhance your personal discipline, so can journaling. The commitment to writing in your journal on a daily basis can lead to more self-discipline in other areas of your life over time.
Increased Self-Confidence - Spending time devoted to yourself can do wonders for your self-confidence. Each day when you schedule in your very own journaling time it's a reinforcement that you are important.

Now that you know the benefits of journaling in your daily life, it's time to take a closer look at the types of journals that people keep. Journals are there to keep facts about your life whether it's your feelings from a particular moment or your bodyweight last Friday. Understanding the purpose of each specific journal that you keep will reinforce your goals for that particular area of your life.

Kinds Of Journals You Can Keep

Daily Journal

This is one of the most popular kinds of journals that people keep. It's a record of their daily lives that allows them to scribe their experiences and feelings about those experiences. Whether it's just a memorable meeting or an unexpected disappointment, a daily journal is there to be your personal rock. It's a place where you can record everything about your life without the fear of judgment from others.

Goals Journal

Having goals is what keeps the human spirit alive. We love to make progress and a goals journal is all about recording that progress. In a goals journal, you can write down your exact goals and record your progress towards each of them every day of the week. This will allow you to see how much closer you've got to where you're aiming. This journal is also great for looking back over the past to see how your personal goals have changed with time.

Hobby Journal

Somewhat similar to a goals journal, a hobby journal is meant to be about one specific hobby. It devotes a whole diary towards your findings, experiences, and growth when developing new hobbies. This type of journal is to help you stay organized when learning new skills and to help you to reflect back on the skills you've gained over time.

Major Life Experience Journal

Whether you're on a new weight loss journey or you've just found out you're pregnant, you can write down your experience so that you can relive it again. Any major life experience you're going through is the perfect topic for a personal journal. It will help you to see where you were and where you've come.

Bible Journal

If you're undertaking the task of reading the Bible, it's not a bad idea to keep track of your progress along the way. A bible journal is a perfect way to explore your personal thoughts about the scripture that you're reading. It allows you to express your thoughts in a personal environment that engages your mind more than just reading through the book without journaling.

As you can see, there are many types of journals out there which you can keep. If you've never journaled before, it's a good idea to understand the purpose for your first journal. Think about what you want to record. The above journals are just some of the more popular kinds that are kept by individuals. You can make a journal about any purpose that you see the importance in.