Reflection and Journaling

So I asked Santa for a moleskine and a fountain pen because I want to do more journaling by hand. When I write things down it helps me reflect with a bit more clarity. I used to do a lot of that when I was younger but it went by the wayside when I got my first laptop. When I think of some of the classic authors – Alcott, Dickens, or Poe — it’s amazing to think they wrote entire novels by hand. Hypergraphia was an oddly Victorian affliction. Do you think you could write a novel with a quill? How about a few lines a day with a ballpoint?

Many cultures have traditions around writing. In Japan, people will gather together to write down their resolutions in calligraphy on banners. That’s not such a big tradition in the US. Until someone figures out a way to commercialize it, I don’t think there will be a televised Resolution Writing Day Parade any time soon.

Writing New Year’s resolutions means reflecting on the past — not a popular concept in pop culture. If there seems to be a reoccurring theme in your life — self-doubt, lack of commitment, or an inability to finish the things you start — the answer may lie between the pages of your journal — if you keep one.

It may not feel pleasant to reopen old wounds, but getting things out of your head and on paper is a step toward self-understanding, and from there you can strategize how to get where you want to go. Did you know that people who keep food journals are more successful at losing weight?

Aim to write at least once a day and then as often as you need to. Include everything, both positive and negative. If old memories pop into your head, let them flow freely onto the page. Make peace with your past by writing down what frightened or angered you the most about hurtful events.

Talk to someone about any events that can’t be resolved–even if that means a professional. Sometimes we need someone to help us over the final hurdle that frees us to grow toward the kind of future we want to have.

Reference: Gold Mine to Success