Journaling

I think almost everyone has at least tried to keep a diary or journal when they were young. I was one of the people who never succeeded. I belonged to the group that always wanted to get into the habit of journaling every January, but failed half way through the year, only to leave the notebook with 20 or so written pages that are then torn out to start afresh the next year.

The thing that intimidated me most when starting a diary was always the content. I always felt like I owed the notebook a dark, juicy secret because diaries are meant for secrets, right? Or is it meant recount the exciting adventures I had that day? At least that's what I thought as a kid. But my life wasn't full of gossip and drama to write about, so I made some stories up-- stretched the emotions a bit... Turns out the only real thing I had to complain about was getting a C on a test, and how I couldn't possibly let my parents know about it.

For Christmas my friend, Mona, gave me this T.A.R.D.I.S. themed journal, so once again, I'm trying to keep up with entries at least once a week. It's worked so far, but the major difference I've noticed is in my entries' content.

Keeping a diary isn't just for my non-existent juicy secrets. Let's face it, my life is nowhere near as shady as that of a fictional heroine. My journal is a place to de-stress. If my mind is cluttered from all that I have to do, I write my anxieties down, read it over, and objectively try to solve my own problems on the next page! If there are any burning philosophical/psychological questions stuck in my mind, I write those down too just for the sake of organizing my thoughts. Doing so, I realize I actually have lots to write about in my journal.

I don't know whether it's because my cognitive skills have developed more, and hence have more to think about and write down, since my 15 year old self, or maybe I've just grown to be a more interesting person, but now I can't imagine life without lined paper to write down my thoughts.