Simply put, Journaling is the act of getting your thoughts and actions recorded in a written format. This rather simple art of journalling has a ton of benefits. You would be learning about these benefits in a bid to prod you into developing the habit of Journalling constantly. Stay tuned.
FICTIONAL NARRATIVE.
Grandpa Morris sat his grandchildren on the couch and made to illustrate the experience he had on that beautiful night of 12th, June 1951. He had enthusiastically awaited this day where he would ever so pleasantly tell this great story to his grandchildren, and today was that day. He made to start the conversation and was surprisingly blank for a moment, he wondered how could he have narrated this event to a number of people over the years, and now, he’s blanked out on this ceremonial evening with his cute grand kids expectantly looking up to him to say the story he gathered them for. He flushed with embarrassment having forgotten most detail of it. Then finally he uttered a word to his grand-kids "Guess old age ain’t no respecter of persons, huh". The children laughed having totally understood what grandpa was struggling with. Grandpa called his second son Phil to help him get an old looking, dusty, raggedy, and unattractively torn book from his locker.
Grandpa smiled as the book landed on his palm, made to open to a page and he pleasantly read the story out to his grand-kids. This triggered his memory to the extent he got to remember some details that were not prior documented.
Why Journal?
1. It aids for Better Decision Making.
Journalling can make you fully understand a situation you wouldn’t have, had you not journalled. Have you ever felt so much anger at someone that you feel the need to throw a fist at him, then to be calmed by the soothing voice of a friend giving you a thousand and one reasons why you should let go of your anger and maybe even helping you see your own fault? That right there, is what a journal can do. It may not speak to you, but it would surely use your own words from your head to calm your nerves and shed more light on the present distressing situation.
One time I had a fight with my Friend, I was steaming because I felt he was so wrong and I was obviously right. Lol! I decided to vent to my Journal and when I was done with my thousand word journalling for that day, I was pacified, it seemed as though my Friend came to the room to apologize to me when he was apparently miles away. After detailed journalling of everything that went wrong, I discovered I was actually the one at fault, and I instantly felt guilty. That made me sincerely apologize to him.
Journalling sometimes makes you feel you’re speaking to a friend. It has helped me make a better decision by helping me unclad my thought and emotions for better judgment.
2. It Helps You Recall Things
We humans are wired to sometimes forget things, and this has caused some hitches in our lives in some ways. Sometimes, We badly want to remember something important that someone told us some days ago, unfortunately we just can’t.
Awwwwww! if it was possible to remove our brain cells to wring out the information from it, we probably would have given it a swing. I understand how it feels to forget something that important. Well, Miss Journal is here for you. It just takes few minutes of bringing out your Tablet or cellphone, or a notepad and jotting in it.
Journalling helps you plan out programs and activities to help you achieve a goal. There’s a saying that goes "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail". This documentation you can do with just slight journalling. Map out your plans and strategies. Then go back to your journal and read through. This helps that plan to be more embedded in you for ease of initiation.
It can also help you plan out your day. I’ve discovered that anytime I write a journal on my goals for the day, I have a higher chance of achieving it compared to if I didn’t have it written down. So take that pen or that gadget, and make those daily documentation you would be amazed at the result you would achieve.
There was a time I went to the grocery store, I had what I wanted to get in mind, but I didn’t journal it. I felt my brain was strong enough to remember everything; How I must have kid myself. Haha! Okay, so I confidently went to the grocery store I had forgotten some of the things I wanted to buy, I decided to stylishly walk around the grocery store in a bid to see anything that could trigger my memory, i did that and I got to see some thing I really did intend to buy. Well! I felt sufficed, I went back home. On getting home, I discovered I didn’t get a smoothie blender I was to use to blend all the fruit I bought. Such a waste! i had initially intended to, but ‘cos i didn’t document it, i forgot. Just a simple act of journalling could have saved me that stress. so now, i know better to make that journal.
4. It’s Therapeutic
Journaling has somewhat same impact that meditation has in you. It makes you feel like you have a company, it helps you sync more with yourself and then, you would discover you are really your own best company. Take out that journal, write some funny things, make a joke, laugh at yourself, have fun with yourself.
5. Enhances Creativity
some writers started with journalling. Some form of creativity was borne out of journalling. When you journal, you may grow to like the art of journalling and further dive into using it to impact people or make a few bucks by writing a book, blog, etc. How would you know if you didn’t try?
6. Memory Preservation
Just like Grandpa, sometimes you wish so badly that you could remember exactly how that event occurred, but unfortunately you couldn’t recall zilch. You can prevent future occurrence by making those journals now. In this situation, journalling is synonymous with taking a photograph. Why not Document those memories now so you would have something to laugh about later. Huh!
7. Helps track progress.
When you journal your journey through a certain activity, you see trends to compare with. Say you are set to lose 10kg within 3 months, you should journal how many kg you’ve lost at the end of ever week, this helps track progress.
You can also journal your pregnancy journey, your journey as an entrepreneur, your journey starting a new skill, on and on. Journalling in this regard helps you see how much you’ve progressed in your journey, and this gives motivation and Zeal to keep pushing on when you’ve seen how far you’ve come compared to when you first started. Wanna start something new?? Then go get a journal, you have a ton of things to document.
Conclusion.
The importance of journalling cannot be exhausted, from helping you plan effectively, to helping Make solid decisions to even keeping memories. Whatever reason hits you more. Journalling ought to be taken with more seriousness having discovered it’s benefits and even more. Trust me, journalling if done right could be enjoyable and addictive. Get to work and keep your pen Rolling.
Question.
1. Have you ever journalled?
2. Do you think there is a need to practice journalling more frequently?
3. What are the benefits you have gotten from journalling
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain ads and affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click and make purchase with the link with no additional cost burden on you. Thanks for your support.
GIVEAWAY: Word for Today
Ignominious: something that makes you feel ashamed. Synonym; disgraceful, humiliating.
Do well to share your reaction in the comment section. Follow me for more of these write-up. I publish at least 3 Blogs weekly.
Have a Blast!
