You are thinking of starting a journal but are somehow unsure of what to put in it. This article is specifically meant for us to discuss what to put in a journal. The fact is there are many things that you can put in a journal – there is no limit. My goal today is to paint the picture for you so that you have the idea. Ultimately you will adopt what I shall share as is it. Alternatively, our discussion might serve as inspiration for your ideas on what you will put in your journal.
Goals, Plans, To-Dos
This is one of the most common things people put in their journals. Some people like to say that an unwritten goal is merely a wish. No wonder more and more people are appreciating the importance of writing down their goals. Anything regarding what you intend to do is something you can put in a journal. It does not matter if it is immediate, short term, medium term, or long term – you can journal. It is vital for reference, tracking, and accountability. You can also marry this will making notes of important events, achievements, and so on. Doing personal reviews is something you can include here in light of the things you would have set out to do.
Important Information
This can be anything; so long it is something you consider important. It can be a date and time, a street name, a phone number, name, or location. It can be an instruction, a process breakdown, or key remarks during a speech. Is it something that is of value and you would want to use later? Is it something that you possibly might forget? If the answer to both questions is yes, then you can put something like that in a journal. For example, I tend to journal inspirational quotes a lot. I also tend to journal information about major events and how they unfold over time. Another area I usually journal for is mind mapping. This is a way of structuring my thoughts about an important activity. This can be when I am researching for an article or generally when studying for some academic program. I am also big on affirmations and I usually write them down for later reference.
Thoughts And Feelings
If there is one thing that is ever constant in our lives is thoughts. I know most people even struggle with things like meditation because they cannot clear their heads. Thoughts characterise lots of what we do e.g. brainstorming, daydreaming, and just about anything. Feelings are of course intertwined with such thoughts. Most people grapple with mental health issues. It is highly advised for such people to process their thoughts by expressing them. One way to express them without filters is by journaling them. You can express your thoughts by writing them down in a journal. This has been shown to help you to process rather than bottle up your often negative thoughts. Interestingly, a lot of people journal their thoughts more than anything else.
Daily Life
Another common focus of a journal for most people is their daily life. You will notice that this will involve documenting most or all of the aforementioned areas. This is not particularly easy to do daily – I know because I used to do it before. However, it becomes easier the more you do it. It is all about documenting how your day will be going. You get to make note of something you feel noteworthy. That noteworthy something can be any of the areas we covered prior e.g. goals, important information, or thoughts, amongst others. Usually, comprehensive journals on one’s daily life can end up becoming published books. I have noticed most books about the adventures of notable personalities in history were adapted from their journals. Documenting your daily life is like building a time capsule or timeline.
Projects Or Financial Management Details
A journal can be meant for documenting and keeping track of your projects or finances. Most of what is done in business and entrepreneurship entail projects. Managing these projects involves keeping track of many variables. That is why most project managers keep a journal where they document everything. The same goes for financial management – it can be for business or personal use.
I am familiar with both and I have noticed it makes it possible to notice certain insights or patterns. Imagine you journaling for personal financial management. That means you document every income get and expenditure you do. By the end of the month, you can learn quite a lot of things from reviewing those entries. This clearly shows that everyone should have a journal dedicated to managing one’s projects and finances.
These are 5 of some of the core things you can put in a journal. There is no limit to what you can put in a journal; it is informed by your needs. Thus there is no excuse for not having at least a journal for something. If you are Christian like I am, you can journal bible verses, prophecies, visions, dreams, sermons, and so on. If you travel a lot, you can document your experiences. Student life is full of adventure; you can journal your experience. As a first time mother, you can journal about your journey from pregnancy all the way through. As a business person or entrepreneur, you can journal about your meetings. The possible entries you can make in a journal are endless. What we covered here was simply to open up your mind.
