Wondering about journalling? It’s becoming increasingly popular. In this post, I outline seven reasons you should keep a journal.

Journalling doesn’t have to be daily, and it doesn’t have to be long and drawn-out. In fact, when you are journalling for yourself, anything goes! When I refer to journalling in this post, I am talking about a regular (like 3-5 times a week) recording of your thoughts.

Here are five reasons you should keep a journal.

Keep a journal to clarify your thoughts.

When you write down your thoughts, it literally allows you to see them. This helps clarify what you are really thinking rather than having those thoughts get muddled in your head. And, sometimes it helps you go deeper with a thought, idea, or emotion. More about that when we talk about how journaling opens your creative mind!

Keep a journal to keep yourself organized.

You don’t always have to keep a journal about your innermost thoughts. Instead, your journal can include personal (or professional) goals, outline your schedule, or simply include your grocery list for the week. Journalling can keep your thoughts, your to-do’s, your schedule, and your goals organized.

Keep a journal to increase your productivity.

When you are able to list out your to-do list, it can help you think about which item is the most important, and help you strategize on how to get that item done. Remember my post on strategies to stop procrastinating? A journal is one way to identify and tackle your “frogs” – those items that haunt your to-do list.

Keep a journal to open your creative mind.

Yes! Getting your thoughts on the page helps you explore your ideas more thoughtfully, broadly, and deeply. A lot of my ideas for blog posts come from my productive mornings, where I write morning pages – my key to creative productivity.

Keep a journal to practice gratitude.

If you want, you can journal for specific reasons. For example, I focussed on gratitude by starting a gratitude vase in my bedroom. I set out colorful markers, a stack of small papers, and an empty glass vase on a shelf. Each night, I spent 5 minutes (well, it was more like 3 minutes at first) writing down three things for which I was grateful. Soon, the vase was full of colorful slips of paper, and I had to add an extra vase to hold all the gratitude. This, believe it or not, is a form of journalling!

Keep a journal to maintain healthy habits.

Journalling can be a compass routine where all other healthy habits are initiated. When I journal (write morning pages), it helps me organize my week. It also means that I am waking up early, so I am likely to eat a healthy breakfast and exercise in the morning as well.

Keep a journal to be wiser.

My grandpa, who is in his 90’s, has been journalling daily for decades. It’s wise to put your thoughts, activities, and plans on paper.

Do you keep a journal? Tell us why in the comments!

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