Keeping a diary allows you to understand yourself, understand your own desires and analyze mistakes. When a lot of thoughts gather in your head, it is best to throw them out on paper. By recording the events that occur during the day in a personal diary, there is a unique opportunity to carefully analyze the mistakes made, actions and deeds. You can conclude how correctly you acted under the circumstances. In general, solid pluses.
10 Key Messages About the Importance of a Personal Diary
So, in order to understand why keep a diary and write down all your thoughts, actions and plans there, you should study the main advantages of this activity.
A personal diary allows you to achieve your goals.
All plans or desires must be detailed on paper. An unwritten goal can be forgotten over time, distracted by other activities, relegated to the background due to circumstances. And the written goal is sure to be firmly fixed in the mind, it becomes a guideline for movement in life. The brain independently begins to look for all possible ways to achieve the intended plans. Some scientists compare this behavior of the brain with the work of an autopilot in an airplane. If you ask people who were not able to get the desired result, whether their ultimate goal was written down on paper, they will answer no. Conversely, many people who get what they have planned always record their thoughts in a personal diary. Ask them why they should keep a diary, and you'll hear a whole host of reasons. Writing down wishes on paper in most cases guarantees success.
Helps to lead a conscious life.
By recording daily in the diary their thoughts, comments or observations, people get the opportunity to look at themselves from the outside after a while. This allows you to think about the way of life, to analyze its correctness and your purposefulness. We can forget a lot, it's human nature. The diary will tell you. Are you living the way you always wanted to? Are you doing what you planned? Or are you “mired” in everyday problems, difficulties at work and do not strive at all for what you really wanted?
Personal diary save ideas
All people are visited from time to time. But if they are not written down on paper, they are lost and forgotten. To prevent this from happening to you, enter all brilliant thoughts in a diary. Even those ideas that seem unrealizable today may “shoot” tomorrow. You don't want to forget about them tomorrow, do you?
Personal diary disciplines
If you write down in the diary all the things that you plan to do in the near future, then the likelihood of their implementation increases significantly. The point here is not only that you will not forget about them. You can classify the tasks recorded in the diary according to the degree of importance for you, and develop a plan for their implementation in the same place.
The diary teaches you to express your thoughts competently and clearly
If you are disciplined, get along with ideas and achieve goals, and still do not understand why keep a diary, what exactly this activity will give you, then you should pay attention to this point. Keeping a personal diary is a kind of story about the life of one person. You become a writer who improves his skills daily. This way of presenting thoughts motivates you to make your story better and more interesting.
Allows you to learn from your mistakes
Looking at the events and actions described in the diary, you can look at them from the other side. In this sense, the diary is a powerful transformational tool. You should use your experience in the future to avoid similar mistakes.
Strengthens self-confidence
The question of why many people keep diaries is very relevant today. Many of them eventually become more self-confident, analyzing the past, changing the future, understanding themselves. To do this, it is enough to open the notes made several years ago and read the recorded thoughts. This is an effective way to understand how much you have grown in a particular area, how much your attitude to certain issues has changed. And the analysis of a children's personal diary can not only energize and positive emotions after reading touching “problems”, but also find an absolutely non-comical solution to critical situations of adult life.
Increases the effectiveness of actions
To understand why other people keep diaries, try to write down all the experiences gained in a day for a month. After reading these notes after a while, you will notice how much wiser and more experienced you have become. Emotions thrown out on paper, ideas written down, goals written in stages in a personal diary help to structure life and act more effectively.
Gets rid of negative emotions
It is no secret that all positive thoughts written in the diary acquire special power. Thus, keeping a personal diary allows you to get rid of sadness, envy or anger. If during the day you have accumulated a lot of experiences, you should not splash them out on loved ones. You just need to start a personal diary and write down your thoughts there. Share your experiences with your diary, this will help not only to avoid scandals, but also to understand the problem.
Personal diary - tutorial
Answer all questions that concern you. If you decide to start a personal diary, then try to concentrate on what really matters to you in life. It's no secret that the beginning of a personal diary rarely coincides with its middle. Your thoughts and goals change, become clearer. You develop, allow yourself to look at your life from the outside. Try to get the results you deserve. Teach yourself to live, think and feel correctly.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that any beginning of a personal diary is a modest attempt to write down your actions and plans on paper. But over time, this behavior will become a habit and the records will become more sensual and meaningful. From banal descriptions of events, you will move on to an in-depth analysis of situations. This will help in completely unexpected life situations. Try it.
Why keep a personal diary
So what is a personal diary? This is a place where not only the most intimate is recorded, or, to be more precise, this may not be there at all. A personal diary contains information that is important for its owner, and what exactly it will be is up to him to decide. However, if we talk about adults, then keeping a diary can be a very useful activity, and here's why:
Concluding the selection of reasons why you should keep your personal diary, I would like to say one more interesting thing. By keeping records of this kind, you have the opportunity to create the story of your life. People like to read biographies of other people, to see how they went to their success, what they encountered along the way, and why not create one for themselves. In the process of life, a lot is forgotten, but a personal diary will not allow this. Moreover, if you wish, you can pass it on to your descendants, so that they, without knowing it personally, can build the right impression about you - it's so interesting! Yes, and by yourself, after decades, look into your past, smile and remember what you were once upon a time ...
How to make a personal diary
Previously, personal diaries were kept exclusively in handwritten form, since there was no other possibility. Now, when computers have come into circulation, you can pour out your thoughts in print, in any text format. Moreover, especially brave individuals dare to keep records in the global world network, organizing websites and blogs. How exactly you arrange your diary is up to you, but before that, think it over carefully.
Working with a computer, and even more so with the Internet, is risky in the sense that it is very unreliable. Firstly, it is no longer personal, since a computer can be hacked, and on the Internet, content is available to other users. Secondly, the computer may break and all records will be lost. There is, of course, an option to store a text document on a flash card, but still that romance is missing here. The positive side is the wide availability. That is, if something unexpectedly occurred to you, you can always start keeping records, because a modern person always has either a laptop or a smartphone at hand.
Still, keeping a diary in a handwritten format is the most reliable in terms of safety. Here everything remains on your conscience. Of course, you can lose it, but it will depend only on you, and it’s easier to control yourself than a “soulless piece of iron”. You also need to store such records well enough, because you can’t put a password on it, which means that everyone who comes across it can read it. Think over such details and start writing.
How to decorate a personal diary
Keeping a personal diary is not just a “dry” process of presenting your own thoughts - it is real creativity. A decent "writer" will always have it decorated and supplemented with interesting details. All this, of course, is a matter of personal taste, there is no mandatory design rule, you can generally keep it as a simple diary, the main thing is that it suits you. And you can supplement the notes with various images, clippings and details that are related to what was written.
For creative individuals, the option of designing a personal diary in the style of scrapbooking is suitable. It will be not only beautiful, but also romantic and original. For decoration, you can purchase various stickers and stickers, they will enliven the image of the diary and give it charm. If you care about how your diary will look, then we offer interesting design options for inspiration.
What to write in a personal diary
A personal diary is personal for that, that everyone decides for himself why to keep it. In it, you can record interesting things that happened to you during the day, you can share experiences, make plans for the future. If we go further, then, as we have already said, one can write in it not only about the innermost and secret. A good idea is to make a themed personal diary.
For example, you have some kind of goal, maybe global, or maybe not, so dedicate a diary to it. Want to lose weight? Write about your daily routine - tell us how great you are that you didn’t eat a cake, although you wanted to, write about the first kilogram you lost, about victories over your laziness and the day spent in the gym. Do you want to grow up the career ladder? Start keeping a personal diary called "My Personal Growth". Write down step by step the steps you need to take and move towards them daily, writing down your, even the smallest, victories. Do you like to travel? Then keep a diary on the appropriate topic.
Whatever topic you choose, it should bring you pleasure. And this is a prerequisite, and everything else is unimportant. A personal diary is your space, your small but intimate world, in which there is only you and no one else. Use it to your advantage and be happy!
Michael Grothaus
Writer, freelance journalist. Founder and CEO of SITU Scale.
I have been personal for many years. Twelve, to be exact. When I tell people that I keep a diary, some people start to think that these are some notes related to work. Others imagine a teenage version in the spirit: “Dear diary! Now I feel…” And that’s it.
When I first started keeping a diary, the first page was a real torment. But today journaling is one of my favorite parts of my day: writing down my thoughts makes me feel better both physically and mentally.
Surprisingly, improving your well-being while keeping a diary is not just psychosomatic. It's really up to those who do it. According to Dr. James Pennebaker, a psychologist and a leading expert in expressive writing, journaling strengthens immune cells, the T-lymphocytes. Thanks to this, mood improves, social activity increases. It also has a beneficial effect on the quality of close relationships.
Most research on expressive writing is done with measurements of physical health, which allows you to track changes. As a result of numerous scientific experiments, it became known that thanks to keeping a diary, the immune system begins to function better, blood pressure normalizes, and stress improves. After a few months of keeping a diary, people begin to visit doctors less often. In other studies, this activity has been found to promote faster wound healing and greater mobility among people with arthritis. And this list goes on.
So what is journaling? It is a combination of fact-based personal reporting with self-examination, sometimes irrational, but always important.
gifphy.com There are weeks when I take notes every day, and sometimes I don't write a single word for a whole month. The point of keeping a diary is not only to organize your thoughts - you can just think them over carefully, and this will also bring certain benefits. When keeping a diary, it is the act of writing down thoughts that brings the greatest result.
When you take notes, the left, rational hemisphere of your brain is at work. While it is busy, the right hemisphere can do what it does best: create, anticipate, and feel. Keeping a diary removes all psychological blocks and allows you to use all the possibilities of our brain to better understand ourselves and the world around us.
Maud Purcell, psychotherapist, writing expert
Already intrigued? I think yes. But maybe you're like me 12 years ago when I didn't know where to start. Therefore, I offer the following 8 tips that will help you master the art of journaling in the shortest possible time.
1. Use pen and paper
The modern world is keyboards and touch screens. But when it comes to journaling, there are more advantages to a regular pen and paper.
I have noticed that most of my patients intuitively understand that writing thoughts by hand is more effective than using the keyboard. And research confirms this. It turns out that while writing, the reticular activating system is stimulated - that area of the brain that filters and brings to the fore the information on which we focus.
Maud Purcell
There are additional benefits to writing by hand. This keeps us from editing our own thoughts. Although many people in their 20s and 30s have already lost the muscle memory of handwriting and this activity may seem slow and uncomfortable to you, it will not be long before you again feel comfortable writing by hand.
When I succeed in convincing young people, especially 20-year-olds, to take notes in good old cursive, they are always amazed at the result, because this activity is really calming and helps to cope with problems.
Maud Purcell
2. If you don't like writing with a pen, find the right tool for you.
Perhaps, having tried to write by hand, you will realize that this option does not suit you. There is nothing wrong with that.
Fortunately, today there is a huge variety of options. Personally, I prefer freehand journaling using a V5 Hi-Techpoint pen with a very thin refill. Yes, only this particular option. I think it's the perfect tool to help my thoughts flow from my head to the pages of my Moleskine notebook.
But, if paper and pen are not for you, turn to their technological counterparts. Both standard editors (Microsoft's Word or Apple's Pages) and more minimalist solutions like . Perhaps you prefer touch screens. In general, look for the most convenient solution for yourself.
3. Set a reasonable limit for yourself
gifphy.com Previously, people set themselves a limit on the amount of writing, for example, 3 pages every day. But experts agree that a time limit would be a more effective solution when keeping a diary.
Think rationally about how much time per day you can allocate to this activity in your busy schedule. Even if at first it will be only 5 minutes.
A limited time frame helps people focus on a specific goal when they start journaling. Seeing 3 blank pages in front of you can be difficult, and the case will end before it even starts. And the time limit will not seem like a difficult test.
4. You don't have to be Shakespeare
Most (regardless of what they write: notes in a diary, an article for a popular magazine or a voluminous novel) are usually deluded into believing that everything they write should be deep and sensual. And when you start journaling with this delusion, be sure that it will lead to failure. Such activity is directed outward, to others, and you should keep a diary for yourself personally. Genuine depth comes naturally, by itself, even by accident. Pretentiousness occurs when people deliberately try to appear smarter.
Shakespeare was a great writer because of his natural talent and careful study of human nature. But what's good for him doesn't have to be good for you. You do not need to demonstrate your literary talent. You just need to write.
I advise my patients to forget about spelling, punctuation and just pour their stream of consciousness onto paper. So keeping a diary will help bring to the fore information that is stored a little deeper than consciousness. Let her pour out.
Maud Purcell
5. Don't edit
One of the purposes of journaling is to explore areas of your mind that you may not want to let out. Diary entries are not articles. No one will check your spelling, grammar, punctuation or content structure. When you edit, you start to think and focus on the presentation rather than your thoughts.
The essence of journaling is to write without thinking. By thinking, we interfere with our intuition, and, consequently, the whole meaning of the diary is lost. The diary can help us explore those paths that we cannot consciously discover. We can find extremely interesting topics if we stop thinking for a while.
6. Keep your diary in the same place every day
gifphy.com You don't have to lock yourself in a secluded ivory tower to write down your thoughts. However, if you have a specific place where you will keep a personal diary, this will help to create better introspective notes.
I have a favorite cafe in London where I enjoy writing. Even when it gets noisy from the clinking of cups and talking patrons, I find the background noise soothing. He helps me immediately tune in to the right mood, and I plunge into my diary. If cafes aren't for you, try writing in a quiet room at home or on a park bench.
Let it be an attractive place, where it is cozy, where there are things that inspire you, where you can see, touch or smell them: flowers, sentimental, memorabilia or pleasant drinks - your choice.
Maud Purcell
7. Leave room for content
When I buy a new Moleskine, I always skip the first two or three pages before starting my diary. When I fill out the entire notebook (usually for a year), I wait for a while, and then reread it.
When rereading, I highlight notes or thoughts that I consider important, note page numbers or the date of writing, and then put them at the very beginning of the diary. This gradually builds up the content, thanks to which I can easily find important records. It helps me a lot when I'm in trouble. I can see how I have faced problems in the past that seemed insurmountable to me, but which I was eventually able to overcome.
Experts have no consensus on whether a table of contents is needed in the diary or not.
"Some people like having structure, some people don't," says Pennebaker. Some people like to read what they have written, some don't. The point is to find the way that works for you."
Purcell has a different point of view: “I like this idea. Of course, some parts of the diary will seem more relevant to your life as a whole. And quick access to these notes will be useful, especially in confusing or life. It's great to be able to remind yourself how you've dealt with seemingly hopeless situations in the past."
8. Keep your diary away from prying eyes
Find a safe and secure place for your diary. For this activity to be really effective, you need to feel as free as possible and write down things that you can’t even tell your best friend.
A personal diary is not a letter to another person. It is not a document by which others should judge you. Want to ? Good. Write a book. The diary is just for you. If what you write might hurt the feelings of others or damage your reputation, destroy the diary or hide it in a safe place.
Publication date: 09.10.2012Remember that you are only writing for yourself.
Journaling is viewed negatively by many people as a waste of time. In this article, we’ll talk about how to start keeping a diary, why you need to do it, and what are the advantages of it.
stereotypes
Now most people have the opinion that only girls who are closed in themselves keep diaries. It is believed that brutal men and adult women do not need to keep a diary. In general, many people prefer not to start a diary, as they believe that they will waste their time on this.
However, many successful and famous people keep diaries. In Europe and the USA, keeping a personal diary is a matter of course.
Why didn't this good habit take root in Russia? People are just not used to it. Most Russians have a Nordic character, and therefore do not want to reveal their feelings to anyone or to a diary.
Why is this needed?
Everyone decides for himself the question of the need to keep a diary. Someone just needs to throw out emotions, someone needs a "silent listener" which is the diary. In principle, the diary allows you to solve many socio-psychological issues in your life. Let's take a closer look at this...
1) Diary and Willpower
The diary helps in achieving goals that require great endurance and willpower from you. For example, you understand that you have to train hard, but you do not have enough willpower for this. You realize that you are weak and your figure is bad, but you simply do not have enough “gunpowder” and incentive to train regularly. You train for about 3 days in a row, and then you quit ... Then you start writing in a diary everything that you think about training. And after each workout, you write in a diary about how the workout went and how you felt. As a result, you will have a certain incentive, a sense of duty to the diary (and therefore to yourself).
You can also write down plans for the future in a diary, which will also give you strength and perseverance. Re-reading previous entries will help you a lot.
2) Diary and Self-Consciousness
Write down all your thoughts, actions and feelings in a diary. And every day, read your previous entries made earlier. So you can look at yourself from the outside. Moreover, the greater the time gap between your entry and the date of its reading, the more you will be surprised. Those who keep a diary all their lives are very surprised when they read their old entries from many years ago. Those. the problems that you had as a child will no longer seem like problems to you.
By reading your notes, you will be able to logically and judiciously evaluate your life and yourself. Are you the person you want to be? Are you doing what you think is right, or are you following others? You will find answers to these and other questions in your diary :)
3) Diary and Experience
A diary can help you remember past experiences by reading your old entries. You can forget a lot, but a diary will never forget anything. A diary can be a tangible power and important knowledge if used properly. After all, what happened to you in the past can help in the present. A child's notes can be useful in old age.
4) Diary and Aggression
You should write down in a diary all the good things that happened to you. However, you need to be especially careful to write about what bad happened to you. Writing in the diary of negative emotions allows you to calm down and take a sober look at your anger. If you re-read your anger entry the next day, you might be surprised that you could be angry over such little things.
Agree, it is better to pour out all the anger to the diary than to someone close.
5) Diary and Life Purpose
Write down your goals in a diary. Write down what you consider your life purpose. Be sure to describe in detail what you see the meaning of your life. Subsequently, these records will help you navigate the future.
In addition, when you read your old notes, you will see that the purpose of your life is changing. What you aspired to as a child is very small compared to what you are striving for now. This is especially important for people aged 20 to 27 years. At this age, everyone thinks that they know the true meaning of life, although this knowledge changes dramatically every year. At 20, you dreamed of becoming rich, considering money to be the meaning of life, and at 21, you already want love and family happiness, considering that this is the meaning of life.
6) Diary and Brilliant Ideas
How often do you come up with really smart and good ideas? As a rule, we discard or forget most of these ideas, or consider them insignificant. Write down all your ideas in your diary, no matter what kind they are (stupid, crazy, brilliant, etc.).
When writing down any idea in your diary, be sure to write down the positive and negative aspects of your idea that prevent you from realizing this idea.
How to keep a diary correctly?
Only you know how to keep a diary properly. Write and do whatever you want with the diary, this is the point of keeping a diary. Buy a thick notebook or a special notebook. Ready-made diaries are sold in stores - you just have to enter your thoughts in special columns. You can scribble down all your ideas with a regular pencil, or you can write neatly with a set of colored markers and pens. A diary is a reflection of a person's mental state.
Diary on the Internet
If you start a diary on the Internet, then forget about anonymity. Of course, on most sites you can put down privacy settings, but why is this necessary? After all, you start a diary on the Internet precisely because you want to show your lifestyle to other people.
There are special sites-diaries. However, you can just as well start a blog (on LiveJournal or somewhere else). On a blog, you can write whatever you want and other people will see it. Get ready to be commented on. You may be told that your life is boring and mediocre. However, it may also happen that your thoughts turn out to be very close to someone. In this way, you can not only make new friends, but also become a popular Internet star.
Thank you for your attention!
Recent tips from the Leisure section:
Did this advice help you? You can help the project by donating any amount you want for its development. For example, 20 rubles. Or more:)