A journal is a good place to write your goals, ambitions, aspirations and new year resolutions. The therapeutic benefits of keeping a diary are many, from sparking creativity to reducing stress to promoting self-knowledge. It would be nice to relive those moments at some point in the future. Part of the series: Home School Tutoring. Writing is actually an external thinking process. My grandpa, Bill Hurst, was a journal writer his entire life. Trust me: reading back your old entries is so much fun! Reading your journal is similar to hovering above yourself and seeing the things you did. The next step is to pick a medium that works for you best, whether it’s your computer, an app on your phone, or old-fashioned pen and paper. “There are few differences after ‘see and say’ or typing, but after printing, there are large differences in regions of the brain that are later used for reading,” she said. Daily Journal Research on the Benefits of Journaling Along, with writing about the benefits that I personally feel through keeping a journal, I decided to do a little research into studies that have been carried out in this area. My favorite authors are Kipling, O. Henry and Steuart Edward White. “Captain’s log, Stardate 4525.6. From there, James and her colleagues conducted another scan, similar to the first, then compared the results. Unfortunately, it's not easy to think of great topics that you can write about. You may write about the same general issues or experiences on all days of writing or about different topics each day. Or last year? If the idea of recapping the emotions of your day seems like too much, you could even just start a gratitude journal, which is a simple, daily list of things you’re grateful for: a cup of peppermint tea, sunny mornings, comfortable slippers. Trouble remembering that brilliant idea you had? “The important thing with building a habit is being consistent. Today we’re talking about Evernote. Meet Emilie Bouge, the nose behind Cire Trudon’s cult-favorite candles. Even if the only person to ever read it is you, a journal is a very personal thing. I learned that keeping a daily journal is not just fun to do, it is also a good way to capture your thoughts and ideas on paper. Keeping a Daily Journal As Mark Ford explains in his book The Pledge, written under his pen name, Michael Masterson, journaling is an excellent tool for: Connection Crisis Sparks Bonanza for Writers: Make Money (Also, there’s no reason you can’t write in the middle of the day — on your lunch break, for instance!). The only rule they had to follow was to continue writing until time was up. Even if Tumblr is your medium of choice, here are five reasons to shut your laptop, sit down with a cup of tea, open a notebook and get writing. It even inspired Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the United States. One of the earliest recorded travel journals was by the Venetian merchant and explorer, Marco Polo. A small disturbance between the Klingon crew and members of the Enterprise crew has broken out aboard Space Station K-7. The researchers told participants not to worry about spelling, grammar or sentence structure. In order to figure this out, you’ll have to answer why you want to keep a journal in a first place. If you’re keeping a journal for a practical purpose — to remember events about your day or at work (work journals can be useful when it comes time to negotiate a raise) — then the answer is simple: Write down the events of your day. If you find your mind is most active in the morning, wake up 15 to 20 minutes earlier and jot down your thoughts then. In 2012 research from Indiana University, psychologist Karin James studied kids who were learning different shapes and letters. Start your daily journal off on the right foot by scheduling your writing for a set time every day. “Use a technique that Stanford professor BJ Fogg calls ‘minimum viable effort,’” he said. It’s a working way to log your life. You will become addicted and will keep reading for hours. For creativity, many writers and entrepreneurs are a fan of “morning pages,” a concept popularized by author Julia Cameron. Including a viral sex diary, the end of millennial aesthetics, and the family YouTubers who gave up their child. Log in or link your magazine subscription, Photo: ©SuperStock/Getty Images/SuperStock RM, A Beginner’s Guide to Keeping a Journal, Martin Shkreli’s Long History of Harassing Female Journalists, The Most Powerful Astrological Day of the Year Is Here, How This WNBA Player Gets Her Skin So Good. Your journal doesn’t have to be brimming with profound thoughts and experiences, so try to separate your urge to edit from your desire to write. 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