5 Reason Why You Should Journal
Salaam friends,
Journaling is underrated. Many people believe that journaling is meant only for writers or for those who have too much time on their hands. Some think that journaling requires an expensive leather-bound notebook, a fancy fountain pen, and immaculate handwriting that only the writer can decipher. It's all nonsense. I journal using a $10 notebook and a pen from my bank, and my handwriting resembles that of an elementary school student. Here are five reasons why you should consider journaling too.
1. Mental Clarity
Journaling helps with prioritizing life's demands. If you’re like me, striving to balance a day job, family time, a podcast, and other side projects, determining what to tackle first, second, and third can be daunting. Journaling helps me sift through the long list of obligations, gain perspective, and take action instead of fixating on an ever-growing to-do list. It's a stress-reliever.
2. Solidifies Learning
After reading a book, attending a insightful meeting, or watching a documentary, I find that immediately jotting down my thoughts allows me better access to that information later. It enhances my memory retention. That's why, when I meet someone for the first time and anticipate that I will meet them again, I record their name. I write it in Arabic because my brain captures the elegant, flowing letters more effectively than English. Perhaps it's because Arabic is my first language, but I also believe Arabic words possess an artistic quality, resembling images of some sort (ask someone unfamiliar with Arabic, and they'll likely agree).
3. Generates New Ideas
Whenever I feel stuck in the middle of a project or a story I'm writing, I journal. It helps discover new ideas. The act of writing about a subject I'm attempting to unpack serves as the tool that excavates the needed ideas from my mind. To my fellow writers, journaling is the ultimate antidote to writer's block. If you feel you've exhausted your stories or lost your writing momentum, turn to journaling.
4. Enhances Self-Reflection
I've faced conflicts at work, as well as with family members and friends whom I care about deeply. Unfortunately, sometimes these situations push me to say or do things I wouldn't normally say or do, causing harm to others or experiencing hurt myself. So now whenever I’m in a these situation, I journal so that I can slow my mind and gain perspective. And from my experience this has always offered me a window into my ego. I can examine my intention and make better decisions
5. Captures Life in Time
This is my favorite reason. We all enjoy looking at pictures of ourselves as children or teenagers. Some of these photos are adorable, some embarrassing, and most evoke a sense of nostalgia. They offer us a glimpse into the time that has passed since the moment the photograph was taken. Journaling accomplishes the same effect using words. I'm not suggesting that journaling replaces pictures, but it does serve a similar purpose. It showcases how we once cared about things that no longer matter, held beliefs we no longer uphold, and highlights the progress we've achieved.
I'm not attempting to persuade you to start journaling here. Instead, I'm showcasing how two simple tools—pen and paper—can change someone's life. It certainly changed mine. There are no strict rules for journaling, no specific structure to adhere to, and no right or wrong method. All it takes is pen and paper.
Stay creative!
📖 Writing Prompt
Exercise: Conversation
Title: Silent Partner
Contemplate for a while, then slowly write down, a conversation between several people in which one person say very little or nothing. Make this silent partner a crucial part of the situation, and don't ignore this character just because he/she is not speaking. 700 words.
Source: The 3 A.M. Epiphany* by Brian Kiteley
🔎 Word of the week
Inertia (n): a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.
Source: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
🔖 Quote to ponder
"Inertia is the death of creativity."
— Austin Kleon
Source: Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad by Austin Kleon
A question to consider❓
If you could change one thing in your day to feel better about how you're spending your time, what would it be?
📸 Through My Lens
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