[joshcanhelp]

I’ve been journaling for over a decade in one form or another, more in the last several years than ever before. I write short blurbs almost daily to describe my state of mind, what’s been going on, gratitude, notes about what I’m working on. Every week or so I write something longer, when I feel like exploring something that’s on my mind.

The act of recognizing what I’m preoccupied with and examining it closely has been incredibly important for me. I can see that so many of my journals many years ago were negative, down on myself, frustrated, feeling stuck that I couldn’t get past things. Those have changed to be more accepting, exploring the positive side of things, reframing. Some of this is, of course, the effect of getting older and working on myself in other ways but journaling has definitely been a part of that.

I also have two young kids so I spend some time writing about things we’ve done, letters to them annually, important moments. I don’t share my personal life on social media but I try to keep a regular record of milestones and trips. My photo roll does most of that work but it’s nice to add a bit of color while I still remember the details.

One tip I’ll share … make sure you write it for yourself. I do a lot of writing in my job and on my blog and I often get into this trip of “does this sound good” or worry about other people reading it. Let go and just write what’s on your mind then write what you think about what’s on your mind.