Keeping a Journal

I’ve been keeping a journal for almost forty years, first filling small leather-bound books with my cramped scrawl and, for the past ten years, typing away in an app called Day One. I have written about every big decision, every hope and fear, every success, and every painful loss.  Thoreau considered his journal a true friend, and I can understand that feeling.  I believe keeping a daily journal is one of the best habits I could have established for my mental and emotional well-being.

Here, you’ll find more reasons for keeping a journal, including some tips on establishing the habit and whether to keep your journal with pen and paper or digitally.

Latest post: My Two Journals

Taking Smart Notes

Latest post: Bear 2 for Writing and Thinking

Keep a notebook. Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it. Slap into it every stray thought that flutters up into your brain. Cheap paper is less perishable than gray matter, and lead pencil markings endure longer than memory.

— Jack London

 

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