“I never travel without my diary.
One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”
- Oscar Wilde
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| Source: pixabay.com |
Keeping a diary for 15+ years has made a giant impact on my life. For starters, I can say that I am extremely proud of myself for sticking to something for 15+ years all by myself! Trust me, it is overwhelmingly good feeling. Aside from my determination, I now have a whole a lot of memories from both good and bad times, including some irrelevant experiences which I would probably forget had I not kept a journal. Keeping a diary is beneficial for numerous different reasons, and I would without a doubt, really recommend it to anyone. In today's post, I would like to share some benefits of keeping a diary that I consider to be important for personal development and even further.
1. KEEPING A DIARY IS A PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT
Whenever you take your time to journal; you are the one who decided to write, no matter when, how much or why. You are not getting payed for keeping a diary, you do not have a due date on your writing, you do not have a boss, a teacher, or a parent looking over you; Your diary is all you and it is something you are doing simply for yourself. You are the one who is in control.
This is certainly one of the highest acts of discipline. The more you keep writing, the stronger your discipline becomes; leaving you with a healthy personal habit. Once you look back on your diary entries, you feel feel immensely proud of yourself for sticking to your own personal assignment. It will certainly boost your confidence like you never imagined.
2. HAVING A WHOLE LOT OF MEMORIES, YOU'D PROBABLY FORGET OTHERWISE
Besides from feeling great about your self with your confidence rising; you will also have a whole bunch of memories that you would probably forget had you not written them down. Keeping a journal is a great way to track all the small details of your life; and it feels so unbelievably amazing to look back at all of these memories.
Interestingly, some problems from the past will feel utterly silly later in life. On the contrary, it is always nice to look back at the fun times you once had! According to huffingtonpost.com, keeping a journal can boost your memory as well; therefore, you will be better at remembering things in general just by keeping a track of your life.
3. GET TO KNOW YOURSELF BETTER & KEEP TRACK OF YOUR GROWTH
Sometimes, before you write, you will think to yourself: "Should I really write that down?" and that's a good thing! Sometimes we simply need to think twice in order to get a full grasp of our situation; that's why your journal is here! It is here to help you increase objectivity in severely personal situations. Other times, it will take looking back on your diary entries to objectively understand what is really going on in our lives.
Eventually, you will become better at understanding the connection between your feelings and your thoughts; therefore, you will be better at solving problems. Keeping a diary will lead you into fully understanding yourself and, with time, you will probably become your best inner friend who never judges yet it is completely objective.
Furthermore, having a diary means you can always look back at how you have grown. It is funny to see how my diary looked like when I was 12, 16, 20 or 25. No matter how horrible your life might seem sometimes, the fact is that we learn and grow each day; by having a diary you will have a physical proof for yourself of your growth.
4. REDUCE STRESS BY LETTING IT ALL OUT
Sometimes we all just need to simply let it all out without any judgment. A nice conversation is great, but sometimes we feel like people either do not have the time or they might be a bit judgmental. No, that is not when you are doomed. In fact, I find that the best way to deal with stress is to talk to myself. I seem to know what is best for me every single time, no matter how much I do not believe it. All you have to do is start. Feeling overwhelmed? Grab a pen and pour out your words, no matter what or how, it will heal you.
5. OPEN YOUR MIND TO CREATIVITY
Life is not a box and neither is your diary. Remember that there are no rules to keeping a journal. You can scrabble, write ideas, draw, write a to-do-list, shopping list, sketch, gossip, write poetry, paste articles, start a discussion with yourself, write quotes or tear out a page or two if you are really angry. Do not be strict with writing; it beats the whole purpose. Writing is about creativity and creativity is NOT about perfectionism; creativity is open-mindedness. One thing can be done in million different ways and everything does not have to be exactly perfect in order for it to be right. Writing will teach you to be able too see life's endless possibilities around you. It will help you become more open-minded, resourceful, creative, accepting, and, most importantly, satisfied and happy in general.
Believe me when I tell you that you deserve half an hour in a day for yourself in private, simply poring down your thoughts, feelings, ideas, views and opinions. Believe me when I tell you, it will enrich your life and make you feel hundred times better about yourself.
Don't believe me? There are numerous researches done on the topic of keeping a diary, with outstanding positive results on people. Furthermore, a large number of really important people kept a journal; from presidents to artists. Did you know Britney Spears keeps a diary? Oscar Wilde? Lady Gaga? Jennifer Aniston? All these people knew they had to somehow keep up with a pressure of their business and keeping a journal is one way to do it!
Thanks for reading!
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