Do you keep a journal or diary?

[Brichard]

I started keeping a journal this year and try to rate myself on the following categories, listed in no particular order:

1. Financial- This basically tracks how I am doing with my money. Did I spend wisely? Am I making new investments? Balance the checkbook? Anything to do with money.

2. Exercise- I try to work out 5 times a week doing weights and cardio. I'm training for my third mini-marathon and track alot of it here. I am a pretty slow runner (10 minute mile,) but I just try to stay in shape.

3. Nutrition- I used to combine exercise and nutrition, but some days I was good in one and not the other. I struggle with my weight, so hence two variables!

4. Work- I'm in sales, so did I make my calls? Make a sale? All work stuff goes here.

5. Spouse- Am I treating AngieR right? I record how I think I'm doing here. Notice I use the word think! lol

6. Dad- Am I spending time with the kids? Is it quality time or watching movies?

7. Community- This to me is helping people in any way. It can be serving the church, helping the United Way, ... anything to help others.

8. Spirituality- I am reading the Bible through (in Isiah now), I also track prayer life, etc. here.

9. Education- This is where I track what I'm learning. This can be anything from self-help books, classic literature, religious books, parenting etc.

When I originally started out I wanted to do this every night, but I've done it as little as twice a week and as much as every day. Its interesting that I never find myself hitting on all cylinders, but I do think it helps keep you in balance. If I get a low grade in spending time with my kids, I really push myself to improve.

I'm just curious how many others do a diary or journal, how you record your information, what you write in etc. Right now I am just typing in word and I copy/paste the prior day and just type new words in the headlines.

I'd love to get a computer program that works better, but I havent found one. I've also thought about writing by hand, but I have horrible penmanship! I'm a much better typist then stenographer!

[KarlaB]

WOW! I thought I was going good with keeping a gratitude journal! :) I started a gratitude journal at the beginning of the year and I love it. I usually write in it every night before bed and so far I have done pretty well with keeping up. I also have a date book where I write down what we do each day, who I called, who called me, etc. I have done this for years and just like to be able to go back sometimes and reminisce about where we were at that point in our lives. :) I don't know if I would be too good about keeping up with a journal on the computer. Part of what I like about keeping a journal is relaxing in bed at the end of the day and just writing down my thoughts. I also kept a journal when my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer, as he battled it, and when died. It helped me through a very difficult time in my life. I recently came across it and read thru it - it was amazing how the memories came flooding back and it was 6 years ago. :(
Anyway, I think what you do is really neat and I wish I could get myself to do something so in-depth. I think it would really make me do some soul searching and make me so much more aware of everything in life and the impact I do or could have.

[MK]

I've been keeping a journal for twenty years (started when I was 12). I don't have a bunch of categories or specific topics to go in it, I just write to "touch bases" with myself, and to leave a record of my life's experiences for my posterity. I write about all kinds of stuff: major events, simple events, my feelings, frustrations, trials, self-reflection/introspection, solutions to problems I'm having or have been having, and my goals, hopes, dreams. Sometimes I will write some poetry, or if a profound thought runs through my mind at the time which relates to what I'm writing about, I jot that down too. I am actually two thirds of the way through my third book now. The pages of these legacies hold the pains of first love, sweetness of enduring friendships, and all the joy and tears of growing up. When I was younger I made it a point to write at least once a month. Now that I am married and have children several months will go by between entries, but I do still write. It is a form of therapy for me, a great way to express and purge my feelings, and to find inspiration. Sometimes I will go back and read some of the past and I have to laugh at myself-- at what a "dork" I was when I was a teen, at how problems that seemed so big at the time are now so small, I wonder what I was getting so upset about. It is my hope that if my posterity ever reads my journals, that they will learn from them and recieve inspiration in their own lives.

[Leigh]

I kept a journal when I was younger, but as I have gotten older, I stopped. I kinda do what Karla does. I keep track of important things on my calendar, and I keep my calendars, so I can go back through them and remember memories.

[Dena]

I started keeping a prayer journal about a year ago. It really helps me to write my thoughts down. I enjoy going back and being able to date things that were a result of prayer. My prayer journal has changed some, now it is a gratitude journal as well.

[Diane]

I kept a journal all through high school... When I go back to read it I also see things that, at the time seemed SO important... and I made such of a big deal about everything. LOL Now it all seems like such of a small thing. I would never want to go back and relive those days... but I'm glad I did the journal. It's always fun to go back and remember... I especially enjoy reading the part about when I first met my dh and all we went through while we were dating... including some of our major fights. LOL Brings back a lot of good memories!!! :)

:wave: Bye... :wave:

[lindaM]

I've kept a journal since I was pregnant with ds. I'm not very good at it though. I think I need to find a different time of day to write in it than right before bed. I'm usually so tired I fall right to sleep.

[Brichard]

Thanks for all of the replies, it is good motivation for me to stick with it. I need to do some research to find some computer software to better do my journal. Or, since I do work for an Internet Service Provider... maybe I should find somebody to write a program for me!

The other thing I have thought about doing is to just print some forms out and hand write things in. I really need some structure to it, because one of the things I am really tracking are my goals. When you write out your goals and revisit them through a journal or other means, it can be really powerful.

This is the longest consecutive time I've spent in my quest for reading the Bible, and I attribute much of that to keeping my journal.

Now if I could only get the motivation to lighten up at the dinner table! lol

[MaryL]

I have also kept a journal since I found out I was pregnant with ds #1. I have about 5 filled journals, and it's fun to look back and read how I was feeling (Pregnancy)...or all about how I felt with the first few days of having the baby home...or how I was feeling while preg. with ds #2...etc.... It's also fun to remember "first words"...and funny things they've said. Every now and then I'll write down their favorite foods...or t.v. shows...or the price of milk...etc. I also trace their hands onto a journal page at least once in each book. I don't write everyday...but when something comes up, I know I have a place to put it down so I'll remember it forever.

[Ryleigh]

I use to have a journal that I wrote in daily when I was a teenager. I look back at it now and laugh at some of the things that I was sure was 'the end of the world as I knew it' If life were only so simple now. I've tried keeping one since but jus thaven't had much luck since the kiddies came along. And know I have IB, another distraction (but a good one). I've pretty much given up for now.