Top 5 Methods for Keeping a Journal
Most people, at some point in their life want to start a journal. Good intentions usually lead to a week of trustworthy writing, but after that, the journal sinks into the depths of afterthought and journeys to the forgotten realm.
How can we prevent such a thing? Below are 5 methods for keeping a journal. Find the one that best suits you, and go for it!
1. The Chronological Method
Day by Day, by Day - This method is similar to the Event Method (mentioned next) but differs in that an entry is made every day about the day, its happenings, and smaller events.
This method is easy if you keep up the habit; however, journal entries tend to be rather short as a synopsis of the day's activities.
2. The Event Method for Journal Writing
Major events - At each major event in your life, okay, a day or two after the event, take the time to write about the event.
Many journal writers follow this method by default as they would like to write in their journal but think to do so only around important life event.
This method produces fewer entries, but the journal entries are usually more lenthly.
3. The Feelings Method
Let your feelings flow - Writing about events, and event major events in your life is a great way to get your journal started; however, some people find writing about events extremely boring and prefer to write about Dreams, Feelings, and Philosophy. In this method, events may be mentioned, but the focus of the entries relate to the feelings revolving around or at the center of the events.
Views about political, social, or spiritual issues may also permeate the entries in this method. This method is very engaging. Anyone can describe a simple event, but to describe feelings, views, etc. about a particular topic can really get you fired up and writing.
Another benefit to this method is that it helps you think through issues that might be bothering you. Taking the time to sit down, ponder, and write out those feelings has an uncanny ability to help us see the issue more clearly in the end.
4. The "Future Journal" Method
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" - The somewhat controversial Future Journal method of journal keeping is to write what you would like to happen in your life before it happens. The idea is that you plan your life and put forth the effort to bring about your plan.
Depending on how you view the entries over time, the journal can be quite humorous as you view the plans you made when you were young, or it can indeed be your blueprint for a life you design.
5. The Topic Method
To pick a topic - The topic method is a fun way to engage yourself into journal keeping. This method entails selecting a subject for the entry such as "my favorite television shows over the years" and writing solely about the topic in the entry.
Rather than collecting events and days, this method helps to span years of experience and insight.
Many journal writers will find some sort of mix of the 5 methods. Other important things to remember:
The way the journal is kept. If you keep a leather bound journal somewhere close by your bed, you'll notice it each day which can help you at least remember that you want to write.
Quality of the medium. If you choose to keep your journal in digital format, you get the benefits of spell check. If you keep your journal in a physical diary, you get the benefit of hand-written thought.
If you prefer to type your journal but still want it to be bound as a leather book, you can lookup up Leather Bound Book Works.
Rustic River Leather offers a plethora of Leather Journals to choose from to aid you in your Journal Writing Quest.
Good Luck!
