The Benefits of Keeping a Private Journal
A private diary is tremendously powerful. It can help you to greatly improve your business or website. If you want to be a success, you need to think and act strategically. At the very least, you should keep your goals in mind in order to work towards them daily.
And a private journal achieves all this more effectively than a static to-do list, which only lists end goals and results to be achieved.
Unlike a to-do list, a well kept journal provokes introspection. It is a liberating and productive outlet for random ideas, thoughts and feelings.
Keep a daily journal about your business/website and write about your day in relation to your site. Make this journal private: This stops you from censoring yourself unnecessarily. Talk about your plans and most importantly, how you feel about your business or blog. Muse upon the objectives you’ve achieved or set for yourself.
Have a conversation with yourself and question your current strategies or aims. Criticize yourself. Praise yourself. Give yourself advice. Reflect on your mistakes.
Recent research in the medical field shows that keeping a daily journal improves the quality of life for cancer patients. In an experiment, patients were asked to write in a journal while waiting for their appointments. They were asked to answer one question: How has cancer changed you and how do you feel about those changes?
After the writing assignment, about half of the cancer patients said the exercise had changed their thinking about their illness, while 35 percent reported that writing changed the way they felt about their illness. Three weeks after the writing exercise, the effect had been maintained.
While a change in the way a patient thinks or feels about a disease may not sound like much, the findings showed that the brief writing exercise led to improved quality of life.
The key point to note is not the therapeutic effects of writing in a journal but rather the fact that regular journal keeping will influence the way you think or feel about an specific topic. If you’re an entrepreneur, blogger or marketer, reflection via a private journal will give you a fountain of ideas and initiatives to pursue.
Image Credit: mi moleskine folio
I know this because I’ve kept a private online journal for Dosh Dosh for 7 months and I’ve written in it every day. I write down random thoughts, possible marketing ideas and my feelings about the site: how I hate it or how it has changed me. All of what I write is uncensored and free from pretty grammar or fluffy, melodious words.
I don’t make an effort to sound good. I don’t check my spelling nor do I edit the post to make sure I don’t use the same words too often. The most I’ll do is to bold certain sentences which I find important after I’ve finished writing. This deepens what I want to remember and keep it in mind for the next day.
A private journal can be created and maintained through localized diary software or web-based blogging platforms. I’ve used Wordpress.com as a platform for some private journals because they give you the option of making your site entirely private and only visible some. You can also use Twitter or a basic paper notebook.
I like to use Wordpress blogs because it allows me to organize my thought processes. For instance, I have categories with names like ‘Achievements‘, ‘What I’m Unhappy With’, ‘My Competitors’ and ‘Marketing Ideas’. Careful filing of your thoughts can make the personal journal a motivational and useful breeding ground for change.
Here’s a simple question you can ask yourself while writing in your journal: How is my brand or website developing and how do I feel about it?
If this has piqued your interest, do try to keep a private journal for some time: you’ll get to experience the benefits for yourself. If you want to improve yourself or your website/business, I can’t offer a better low-cost, hassle-free solution than this.
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When I first started blogging, many of my blogs were this type. Perhaps I should revisit them. The notepad diary always reminds me of the Doogie Howser show. I actually had kept one of those prior to the Internet.
I think one good reason to keep a journal that you left out maki, is, that the journal i a good place for rubbish ideas, that should never be ‘published’.
We all have rubbish ideas. Mixed in with the better ones, and normally, we have spend the same amout of energy expressing both.
Having a journal, lets us quickly express some of these ideas. Once we’ve expressed them, we can more accurately judge if they are valuable and need more action, or not.
Good point Ming…also a good way to help develop some of those ideas.
Keeping a journal has many benefits; where we can pour out our heart and soul at whim, without having to edit our words and tone, but just lay it all out on the line as we see fit.
My journaling habits years ago was actually the catalyst to my beginning to blog online. Although I no longer keep a handwritten journal, I do “journal” on a word doc and save them in a collected file. Journaling is very therapeutic in many ways.
Wow! I never thought to use a private journal to reflect on my work. There’s always ideas and thoughts about work that swim in my head all day long, as well as story ideas that I discard. Having a private journal for this purpose is a great idea! Thank you!
Another good technique is to borrow an element of the Artist’s Way and write, longhand, three pages of WHATEVER comes out first thing in the morning.
I found that dumping out all the junk that was on my mind helped the flow of ideas for the real work that was to come. Actually, that’s one of the things I ought to start up again…I would usually just shred the pages after I wrote them.
I keep a paper journal and file cards kicking around wherever I sit to capture whatever *useful* ideas come out.
I suspect a paper journal such as you describe could be referred back to as a way to track progress…espcially on those days when you feel like you’re not making any.
I would go bananas (well, more bananas than I already am) if I didn’t keep a journal. Plain old paper and pen (ok, Moleskine cahier and fancypants fountain pen). My journal is the place to rant and rave and feel sorry for myself and scream bloody murder. I write about work and my family and my friends and my general place in the world, no real boundaries.
I also keep a Backpack account for bits, pieces, musings, scraps and other magpie-ish things for the blog. For me that’s a different exercise, but it’s also absolutely vital (for me) when I’m involved in any kind of long-term creative process. It’s sort of a compost pile–I put all kinds of trash in there, and eventually it cooks into good stuff.
I’ve been journaling for my business informally for a few months, but after reading this I think I’ll kick it up a notch or two. Already I’ve found journaling helps me remember good ideas I would have otherwise lost, but I hadn’t thought of using it as a way to set goals and plan. Thanks!
I use those cheap composition notebooks that you can pick up for $1 or less at most department stores. I noticed that when I write in my moleskine, I feel like I should be very careful about what I put in there and how I write because they are so expensive. With the cheapo notebook, it feels different. I feel more free, actually, to write whatever I want, however I want. Weird psychology, there.
I think business is the extension of the owner and thus reveals who he or she really is. Personal development issues become business issues.
I have kept my journal for three years. I use two pages for one day. For example, on the pages for Feb 26, I see entries from 2006, 2007 and 2008. This has helped me see the seasonal patterns and my growth over the years. I have not thought of using online tool, but it might make this easier.
I so enjoyed this post, Maki, as it really chimes with my own experience. I’ve been writing a journal for some time now… or should I say handwriting? For as much as I accept the benefits for some of online journaling, I think the very act of inscribing words upon the page speaks to our subconscious in a way that typing struggles to. If you want a book recommendation on, try Henriette Anne Klauser’s Write it Down, Make it Happen as it was this book that really woke me up to the personal power of the (hand)written word.
This is the one thing I feel I need to do since I was 15. I’m 25 now (haha… took 10 years of lesson). Having you said it, I’m setting up my own now.
I hope this can help me achieve my goals!
I keep a journal for my private throughts, as Lin said above, its a great way of pouring out your soul, to get rid of the things that run over on your mind - I like to think of it like GTD for my private thoughts.
I like Akemi’s idea of having one day per page but with each year using the same page
I use a nice fancy envolope wrapped leather journal and fountain pen as I find having nice materials to write with helps me want to write more.
The important thing however is to make sure your journal STAYS PRIVATE, I made the mistake of leaving it in plain view and my girlfriend read it.
I journal every day, using a pen and a notebook. Not specifically as a business practice but as a spiritual practice. I ask for guidance, write down concerns, prayers, and so on. I find this is good therapy, helps me with my life in general, and putting pen to paper about issues and concerns really alleviates stress and anxiety and contributes to the creative and productive process.
Thanks Maki, you given me another inspiration for a post.
Paper diaries are the best. They are more tangible, touchable and feel more like a ‘friend’ than a WordPress blog or a diary software.
I keep a wordpress blog about conscious, peaceful and mindful living. My purpose is to learn and share knowledge about psychology and spirituality influenced by Eastern philosophy and thoughts. Every morning I sit down and write everything that is on my mind, about dreams, thoughts, emotions, ideas, about the day before and more. I save the drafts for personal introspection, but also so I can use them as drafts for posts to publish, if I think the ideas, information and knowledge are valuable.
I definitely agree about keeping a private journal. When I was a child I used to collect notebooks and write in them as a diary or journal all the time. Since I’ve gone to University it seems that this habit just vanished with increased work load and time commitments. But recently I decided to start writing a personal journal again.
I’m using the Scriver Mac OS X application because I totally fell in love with this program. It helps me organize and sort all of my entries in folders and so on, and everything is stored in one file. Also I can search through it at a later date to find out about specific events or ideas. I must say it has helped me stay calm, and I have been able to document some ideas that would have just evaporated if I didn’t write them down.
I also wanted to mention that I love reading Dosh Dosh. I’m not new to internet marketing but I’ve only recently taken a serious look at it. Thanks Maki!
I have kept a handwritten journal for over 30 years. I was inspired to start by the published journals of May Sarton. Recently I have started to make a few entries by computer but it’s not the same somehow. I feel that the deepening and personal and spiritual growth I’ve experienced has been fed and fueled by my journaling.
I’ve never thought about doing it for my blog. This is a great idea and I’m going to try it out. Thanks!
@Ming
Yep, journals are a good place for anything really. It’s a brain dump that facilitates the development of actionable items. I have a section of my journal (marketing ideas) which is exclusively for items like this.
@ Lin
Yes, I think its incredibly therapeutic… especially when you’ve had a bad day with your web host or a customer. It gives you much needed perspective and may also prevent you from taking rash actions that will harm yourself or your site.
@ Lynn
You’re welcome! A private journal will be terrific for your blog… as you’ll come to realize. ^_^
@ Linda
Definitely… I first heard about this literary technique from the Surrealists, who called it automatic writing. They believed that writing whatever comes to mind will give you insights into your unconscious. Indeed I think a lot of great books were partly written through this technique… especially the ones from beat writers like Kerouac or perhaps even Virginia Woolf.
@ Sonia, Chris O’Byrne
I had a moleskine but I wouldn’t really write in it because it was too perfect. Too sexy. I gave it away to an artist friend who used it to do some sketching. She made the whole book a work of art. Like Chris, I use a cheap notebook as well…. but very rarely. I’m very much an online person and typing is far more natural to me than writing (which is very sad I know!).
@ Terry Heath
You’re welcome! Let me know how it works out for you.
@ Akemi
That is quite creative.. I like the idea of using the same pages for each year but sometimes I just write too damn much to keep it all on one page lol. I think an online tool would be fine and its portable as well, although not as a portable as a notebook…
@ amypalko
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll try to Klauser’s book when I get a chance.
@ Louis Liem
Good luck!
@ Dcrad
I feel the opposite actually… the nicer the journal and pen, the less I feel like writing. It makes the process unnecessarily formalized in my mind..I think some people do well with making journaling a ritual but I’m not the type. Oops, I hope you didn’t leave anything that would offend your girlfriend in the journal…. that’s one of the negatives of having a non-password lockable paper journal….
@ Ani
Writing about your dreams is terrific. I used to keep a dream diary but then I stopped because I stopped remembering my dreams..
@ Mark McCullagh, Peg
You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help.
@ Nathalie
Scriver sounds terrific! Now if only I can find something similar for PC. I’ve tried a few diary softwares but they don’t really work that well for me. I’m happy you like reading Dosh Dosh. Come back and comment again ya hear!
@ Everyone else
Thanks for your comments!
@Maki
Writing in the early mornings before you do anything else can help you be more conscious and remember them. I have written about this topic at the blog: http://beingpeace.com/page/2/
I first made the habit of keeping a private diary 3-4 years back.. It then switched to blogging after a cpl of years..
last year when I began to setup sites and learn making money on the web i switched back to the paper diary.. these days I keep three of them [call them my secretaries :)]
one is an offline to-do day planner, the other is an idea ox for my sites and plans, and the third is a personal one where i jot down what i think of what i do online and how to improve, correct or appreciate it..
also on the topic of using a private wp (or any other) blog, I’d suggest looking at some of the many free web hosts on the net, and installing a wordpress on them.. this has the added advantage of being a playground to test various new wp themes and plugins besides the stuff that maki wrote..wordpess.com as we know don’t offer this luxury
closing with a strange feeling that perhaps i shud b more concise with my commenting at doshdosh
Yeah i think that a journal like this could also be helpful if you monetize it. I mean cant help to keep your private thoughts a little less private and make some cash too? Just don’t publish your name in the site click for nick
I’ve never kept a private journal or diary. Might be something to look into doing.
The keeping of a journal is its own reward. I have found that the most important part of it is not to read it after you have wirtten it. At least for a month or so.
It clears your thinking and amazing things start to surface after a page or two. Your mind has all the answers. If you let it tell you!
Maki, I write a journal too and totally agree with you how valuable it is when it comes to generating new ideas.
Writing is especially important to me when I’m stuck in one of those days when you just cannot come up with anything. I’m using a technique called “Write to Create” and just blogged about it.
Let me know what you think!
Good insights. I have found that often times I find myself not wanting to take the time to find my journal when a thought comes to me. I would recommend to those who share this similar dilemma to record on audio your journal entries instead. Just pick up a little audio recorder and verbally speak the thoughts that you would normally have written down. They are so small that it is easier to actually carry it with you places. This helps those who are journally challenged like myself.
I have six paper journals for the different areas of my life and career. It’s interesting to back and the growth. Sometime, I think that I’m not really making an process and the journals let me know that I’m okay and I’m progressing.
I keep both paper and digital journals, and love the Artist’s Way practice of dumping your brain first thing in the AM. I’m a bit nervous about writing my private journal using a blog — even if WP does say “private”, how private is it really?
@Sherryb,
I have not occured to my that it may not be safe to store private journal on Wordpress. But thinking about it my private journals are quite innocent about spirituality and conscious living, and I don’t think they will make any headlines or scandal if they should be made public
I journal fun stuff online, but when I am really troubled I pull out old notepad and start typing away. I’ll have pages of analysis that when I go back and look are realy introspective. I do that also when I have too much stuff to do to get my carpool website updated or some other marketing campaign. Notepad is private and is ony needed for personal use.
BrianB
Carpool with RideSearch.com
It must be true what Jung said about the Collective Unconscious because I started a private diary two days ago (the 25th). I can’t tell you how much it has already helped me. Tremendously!!
I had downloaded a software called iDailyDiary and it’s pretty nice for the idea. It’s easy to operate and I know I can get to it if the internet is down. The only thing it doesn’t have that I wish it did, unlike a blog , is categories. It goes by dates instead. Or maybe it has that feature and I haven’t figured it out. I will look more into the search that you linked to and see if I find anything else that might be even better.
Keeping one on the computer or online is SO much better than what I was doing: writing in dozens of notebooks. I always lost what I was looking for in one notebook and it became cumbersome to have all those notebooks lying around. This is SO much more convenient. I don’t know why I haven’t done it before.
what a great reminder on a true introspective tool. i have used paper journals (sketchbooks) for years and now also use private google docs for keeping track of some things. thanks on helping me get “regrounded”! ^_^
I just posted about this yesterday in my new blog: 10 Benefits of Keeping a Journal, and What to Write in ItI love journal-keeping because of its versatility: brainstorming and mindmapping,etc. It’s also a great stress-buster, at least for me. I just free-write (stream-of-consciousness writing) about whatever is bothering me and at the end of the ‘catharsis’ I usually feel much better. Try it out.
I have kept a notebook since before I was a blogger. Now that I use one as a blogger, I find out that my thoughts are clearer and I get a lot more done in less time. Some things you never fully understand until they are written down and out of your mind.
Steve Farber writes about a special kind of journal called a WUP or a Wake-Up Pad. He writes about it in his second book The Radical Edge. You may know that I love his books. The idea of the WUP is simply to keep being very alert about the world around you. Work like an anthropologist and look around you. What is going on? Ask yourself that question over and over again. Then think about what it means and then, talk about it with others. These are simple but extremely powerful ideas that will give you insights in the market, your business, your personal life, that you cannot have any other way.
This is similar to what I do–I don’t “journal” about my blog, but whenever I come up with an idea for a blog post, I write down some notes about it on anything I can find nearby. I also keep Notepad files on my computer containing notes for future posts, url’s of posts I want to reference in my own, and the main quotes I’d like to use.
Sometimes, the notes in these files will be there for weeks before I use them, but when I’m ready to write that particular post, I have easy access to my notes for it.
After reading this post, I started my own private journal on wordpress.com and so far it’s been great. I can organize all my thoughts, ideas, everything.
Thanks for this idea, it’s helped me greatly.
You rock, Maki!
It amazes me how great your post are I have been reading your blog for a while now and I very impressed with your content and the way you write … it is so thought provoking and informative… I think you should of been number 1 in the blog fame…
I’ve tried many different ways of doing this over the years but what I’ve found to really work well for me right now is a Google Doc. Because these can be bookmarked, I can easily open in in my web browser and leave it open in a tab throughout the day. Whenever I think of something it is easy to toggle over to and leave a note in it. Google Docs seem to have the perfect mix of features for me where the software doesn’t get in the way.
Thanks Maki and Dcrad,
Online journal is probably smarter, but the thing is I already spend way too much time in front of my damn computer. . .and there is something special about writing things down with pen.
@ Ani
Thanks for the tip!
@ maneesh
Yup… its a good idea to use a spare blog to test wordpress plugins. I have some rubbish blogs just for this purpose. Nah you don’t need to be concise, feel free to ramble!
@ Corinne
That’s an interesting way to do it. I’ve never heard about not reading what you’ve written after sometime although I do suppose that it does makes some sense…
@ shooperman
Just read your write to create post.. it sounds like it might work! I do enjoy the change of scenery and sometimes I’ll head out to a cafe for some drinks, although I’ll usually end up reading a book instead of writing. I’ll be sure to bring a journal along the next time!
@ Ryan
I think audio journaling is fantastic… although I have found it hard to organize my thoughts. Need to search through the different audio files just to found a specific idea…. I find that audio recording is more suited for to-do lists than journaling although it can certainly work well for some..
@ LaRene
Six journals… that’s a lot!
@Sherryb
The most private way to do it would be to host Wordpress on your own domain and block out all visitors except yourself. Or use a local diary software. I think if you’re using Wordpress.com, it might be better to not be too revealing… it’s possible to journal honestly without revealing your overall identity. The use of abbreviations will help in this case..
@ Kelly
I’m still looking for the perfect diary software myself… I’ve tried a few but never really got into writing using them. I’m a big fan of using the computer because I love to type…. and will only resort to notebooks when I’m away from the computer or traveling light…let me know if you find a good diary software!
@ Ivan
You’re absolutely right about journaling being a stress buster. I think its terrific too…. thanks for sharing the link to your article!
@ Niels
Thanks for the recommendation… I’ll check out Farber’s work.
@ Jesse
For notes concerning blog posts, I usually use the Scrapbook Firefox extension….notepad is fine but it doesn’t really work well when you to categorize your ideas. It’s still very useful though.
@ Zach
You’re welcome!
@ candy
Thanks a lot! I’m glad you enjoy the posts on Dosh Dosh.
@ Mark
Google Docs is great! I use it to write linkbait or collaborate with a few other bloggers…. Its useful as a journal as well although I really prefer to categorize/tag my thoughts like a blog post. I know you can use folders for Google Docs but its still a little awkward for me..
@ Everyone
Thanks for your comments!
A private journal for remind us about our blog. Thats i never heard off. To do it daily then its a challenge. Just to update post in blog already a challenge. But it is a good way to plan your blogs. For myself always make a note and i have a schedule in excel to remind me about my plans. Its a good idea that need a good discipline in doing it.
Nice post here. The one thing required for having and maintaining a diary is consistency, too.
With all the ADHD types out there unable to focus, the person who can keep a diary can maintain a business.
Good post.
Thank you,
Daniel McGonagle
The Pythagoreans were required to carry a note pad and record their daily events which they were supposed to review at the end of the day.
I keep a written journal. I find the process of actually writing on paper slows me down and makes me think. I use it for mostly threaputic reasons and I am writing it in the form oa a letter to my son so that he may gain insight into my thoughts and feelings when he is old enough and perhaps I may be gone. I hope that it will bring pleasant reminders of his child hood as well.
Thanks for the info. I do keep a journal too.
I started keeping a journal years ago as undergraduate student - mostly as a way to, down the road, recount what I thought was important at the time. That’s now transitioned to a private blog. I tend to write 4-5 a week and it’s been more than cathartic. Similar to the sentiments expressed here, I find it helps add some perspective to the events of the day/week/month - especially since I’m slogging away on my own company! The writing helps put the emotional response to events in context.
Thanks for the info. I do keep a journal too.
reg
rushitshah.com
Just started my blog 1 week ago. I am glad that I found this article and hope to start my on-line journal. I am not good in writing and have grammar problem but will try anyway. Thanks for all the nice info Maki.
I have started keeping a journal logging what i need to work on to improve my life although only for a few months it has greatly helped. I was wandering how you manage to keep the ideas in your head i have thought about putting it on to scrap bit of paper then uploading which i can have the added benifit of tags and be able to “update” anywhere and be able to bring in other peoples ideas to help my own.
I believe everyone has different way of writing or keeping their journal. I prefer to interpret it with graphics/drawing in paper and pencil but lazy to scan it. I found the graphic tablet is pretty useful or otherwise, I just snap with my digital camera and load it on-line. Putting ideas on paper is fun but I got it messy.
I’ve kept a journal every since I was in third grade. It is very therapeutic just to be able to say whatever you want to say…However, I never thought about keeping a “business” journal. Interesting. I think I’ll try it out. Thanks for the inspiration