Recently, a friend of mine mentioned how interested he is in doing daily journaling but finds it challenging for him to start the habit, much less master it. He knows I regularly write in a journal and suggested I make a series instructional outlets on the subject and taking his suggestion, I'll start here.
This initial article will brief my own experiences but there are more to follow, so be patient by looking for additional articles in the future.
There are several facts about journaling one must understand so as not to get discouraged or feel like it's something that's falls into the "it's not for me" realm. If a person wants to journal then it is for him. It's like anything else someone wants to do. He can take it in smaller doses and work his way up and then decide to "screw this" if he decides it's not something he wants to do.
It's not that hard!
Start with carrying a small notebook and pen with you everywhere you go and I mean everywhere. Make notes often about people you talk to, write down their names and what you talked about or something they said. Use it to write down an idea that pops into your head and the cardinal rule of remembering is, unless you write it down, chances are excellent that you'll forget about 10 seconds later.
The above remarks was spoken by Jack London, a renowned American author and it indicates his passion for writing in a small notebook he carried around but in no way should someone who isn't a professional as London was be expected to be so passionate about keeping a notebook. However it does indicate the importance of writing things down as soon as it arrives in your head without delay.
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| Jack London |
"Keep a notebook", he said. "Slap into it every stray thought that flutters into your brain. Cheap paper is less perishable than gray matter, and lead pencil markings endure longer than memory"
I, myself am rarely seen without my little black notebook and pen. It's with me or nearby me everywhere I go. I use it for nearly everything and has replaced my smartphone in so many ways. I use it to jot down ideas, quick sketches, to-do lists, write daily objectives, shopping lists, ideas, people's names, reminders, and so much more. It's a mini journal.
I use it while pumping gas, during meetings, standing in a grocery store check out line.
Often when I write in my larger home journal, also called a commonplace book, I will refer back to my notebook and expand on the day's adventures. It is inexpensive and it comes as cheap as you want in the office supplies section or school supply sections anywhere you shop. It fit's into your pocket, it's cheap, it doesn't matter if it gets wet, if I leave it somewhere, it's okay; I don't have to go back and get it. It doesn't need re-charging or updates.
Why not just use a phone app?
Good question. My answer to it is "I do use a phone app" (more on that later) but the initial, easy to use, hand written notebook is only one way (and my most common way) to use portable journals. I find the handwritten journal a very convenient and expedient way to write down pertinent information quickly. Also there is something meditative, calming and non-distractive about handwriting that typing on a smartphone simply doesn't provide. Having an app buried deep into my phone is easy to forgo and put off or even forget about.
A notebook doesn't have others competing for my attention with dings and bells which pull me away from my task.
Also, handwriting is a motor skill that keeps my brain in tact by actually forcing me to think of the right word to use and how to spell without the use of distracting and mindless auto-correct or spell-checks.
But I use a phone app, too
The app I use on my phone is a simple note taking app: OneNote. I designed it for my own preferences and purpose which only took a few minutes and I call it my Micro-Journal. During the course of our modern, techno driven world I was guilty of getting distracted by many electronic time wasters:
It got to the point that I would spent a large amount of time on worthless endeavors; hours! I decided I had to change so after listening to a podcast (The Art of Manliness) which was interviewing the illustrator Campbell Walker, who explained how he dealt with much the same problem, I decided to replace all those time wasters on my phone with my easily accessible micro-journal.
When I say replaced them, I mean literally replaced them.
I removed the social media apps and time waster icons and put the micro-journal icon in its place so the moment I feel the urge to waste time on the various social media outlets my muscle memory took over by habitually tapping on the wasteful short videos, I found in its place my micro-journal app. This reminded me to WRITE instead of indulging in timewasters.
why a micro-journal?
If I use a small notebook, doesn't it negate the purpose of a writing app? The answer to that is a resounding "no". The micro-journal has a number of advantages and different uses my beloved notebook can't do. For instance, with my OneNote app I can apply different fonts, I can add pictures, tables, links and websites. I can sync it across all my devices and remember: it's original intent was a deterrent from time wasters but now it's become a big part of my daily journaling.
There are also other types of journaling in which I indulge which I will expand upon in future articles including a non-portable journal I use only at home, sketch-journals, and a gigantic, 1000 page journal I use for sketching and writing.
