Journaling

One really important part of my life is the journal I write in several times a week. (I like to say that it is cheaper than a psychiatrist and nearly as effective—and I really do believe that.) I keep several, for different purposes: one is the day journal, which usually gets about a page when I go to the coffee house for a morning muffin, about three times a week; another is specifically church-related stuff; yet another (three, actually) relate to the three English courses I usually teach. These last ones, the church journal and the English course journals, might go several weeks without an entry.

The key idea is to get used to putting your ideas on paper. I like to look back sometimes and see where I was a month or six months ago. Sometimes that is very encouraging. Here are some of my personal rules about my journal.

• It’s very private. I do not want you reading it without permission. (On the other hand, I am aware that my kids will probably see these things after I am gone, so that puts the brakes on some of the things I might write.)
• It’s a “dirty book”—in the sense that it is not cleaned up for publication. I do not go back and edit.
• I do not worry at all about keeping to the topic or anything like that.
• I do have a spiral notebook for rough drafts and other business writing, but that is not in my journal.
• It should be fun, at least a little. I know some people do drawings and put in decorative stickers. That isn’t me, but I have a very large collection of fountain pens and ink, so every time I write, a main question is what ink color feels right for today.

Here is a very complete “How to Journal” webpage from a company that would like to sell you pens and journals. You do not have to buy from them, but their advice is good.