The Pros and Cons of Keeping a Diary
Thursday 2 December 2010 From my Canberra desk
G’day,
Many people think of journaling as a “Dear Diary” type of self absorbed and useless exercise. And it can be that. Or it can be a gift of clarity. The difference between the two is structure and discipline.
I have used a journal for years. The developmental stages of my journal charts my personal growth. In my youth, it was a completely unstructured, self absorbed, stream of consciousness narrative. Reading back is nauseating! In my middle years it became more structured and positive, starting with a section on gratitude. No longer seriously self absorbed but probably not that riveting to anyone else but me. And that’s Ok, it’s for my eyes only.
And while this was a wonderful improvement, I was still having problems. It was hard to track progress on individual goals in my life, it was chronological rather than subject organised. It was hard to remember and look up particular life lessons learned or anything else, no search function! It wasn’t secure and subject to getting lost or read by others! And it was painfully slow and time seems to be speeding up and I had less to spend journaling!
Journals are however priceless when it comes to problem solving and that’s why they survive. You can have a conversation with yourself, stating the problem, and then systematically raising and evaluating solutions.
Because you have to write it down, you have to slow down your thinking. This is very beneficial. Our thoughts are lightning fast. It’s not till you really question your thinking, make the unconscious conscious, that you realize how your thinking is influencing your actions.
Everything starts with a thought.
Not all our thinking serves us well. Slowing down your thinking by writing will help people identify more clearly what is driving or not serving them.
That’s where the second tenant of journal writing comes into effect. Using structure and discipline will stop you sliding into self centred absorption. Ideally you want your writing to slow your thinking so you can identify the things that serve you and those that don't in your thinking and behaviour. There is a trap, in self centred writing, to use the writing medium to justify yourself to yourself. Not very searching, but satisfying if you are content to stay where you are.
By using structure in your journal, you are being guided to analyse your thinking and your actions with an intellectual discipline. If your goal is to buy a house and you’re no closer to you outcome; what would you prefer, to know your right in whatever story you tell yourself, or identify the thinking and behaviour which is limiting you from achieving your goal?
At the end of the day it's your choice. You have to accept the rescue.
My final journal development is 4me2realize. It solves the problems I was having with my journal. It is secure, protected, can’t be lost and it’s structured. I can look at entries by subject or in chronological order, like a normal daily journal. It also helps analyse what I do in relation to my Life Purpose, which gives me clarity. It also helps me see when I am engaging the behaviours that help me and those that do not serve me. It took me a while to “realize” that this system was better that what had taken me years to develop, but when I did, I was hooked.
4me2realise is great for people who are not good at writing, or don’t like writing. The entries can be short and quick and 4me2realize will link them to your overall goals and projects. You can quickly see what you are doing and what is working for you and what is not happening. The journal writing will give you clarity and 4me2realise will pull all your life together into a meaningful whole. After all, you life is not separate bits, but a whole, marvellous life.
It’s your life to be lived, enjoyed and realized.All these principles are incorporated in 4me2realize.
Why not try it now, click here to try it with a 60 day money back guarantee.
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Kind regards
Cas
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