I am participating in Camp NaNoWriMo, but I’m doing my own thing–A blog post each day in April, so 30 Days of Blog Posts.

When I was six or seven years old my daddy bought me a pink diary. I dabbled in it, writing an entry here or there, until April of 1975, when I was seven years old. My daddy died on April 4, 1975, and within days of his funeral I was writing in that pink diary every day. I began the diary with, “Dear Daddy.” Journaling both saved and healed me back then, and has done so again and again at various stages of my life since then.

Why I journal now is a bit different than I did back when I was elementary, middle and high school, but some of the core reasons are still the same, even if things have evolved greatly since then. Journaling is a way to freely express ourselves in a non-judgmental space. Journaling allows us to set the stage for self awareness, inner wisdom, understanding, creativity, mindfulness, improved memory, increased focus. Journaling also helps us process things, become aware of patterns, cycles and issues. Journaling is also fun.

The list of benefits that come with journaling is vast, but one of the big reasons for why I journal in a way that is more of a diary style, or what some refer to as “text” and/or “essay” type journaling is–Journaling can transform your life. Journaling has helped me dig deeper int things, find my Truth, helped me sort out priorities and goals, and allowed me a safe space to ask myself some of the important questions. Questions like: “What am I happy with?, What am I unhappy with?, How am I feeling right now?, How am I feeling about X, Y, Z?, Am I happy with what I’m doing?, Have I accomplished my goals?”

Journaling is also a way to increase my self awareness by enabling me to find/see patterns, cycles, triggers, and/or issues, as well as a way to sort through my reactions, thoughts and feelings. When I am in the physical act of writing on the page, I slow down. I am in the present and much more aware. Thus, journaling helps strengthen our sense of who we are–our inner self. We become more introspective because we’re most often focusing inwards.

Within the pages of my journals are bits of conversation, pieces of dreams, my reflections, notes, questions, quotes, memories, a chronicle of events, affirmations, pictures, drawings, collage, pressed flowers, a leaf that caught my eye, a dandelion that one of my grandchildren gave me, messages to my future self, internal dialogue to help me replace the negative self talk with neutral to positive self talk.

At the end of every month I try to reflect and review the month. I feel good about what I accomplished in March. The Studio is over halfway revamped and organized. I did some major decluttering of paper, pens and markers that were broken or didn’t work anymore, and of other supplies. I also rearranged furniture. Found better ways to organize many of the items that I use most often. We also decluttered parts of the house, put flooring down in the dining room, got our taxes filed, and planted some new flowers. I pulled the weeds from the rose beds, and have a new bag of river rocks to add to the rose bed.

I am happy with my journals. Yes, plural. Journals. I’m still working out a few things in regards to my planners, but I’m loving the Hobonichi Cousin Avec and a Hobonichi Notebook for work planner “system.” I’m excited about how my journals and planners are evolving.

And on that note, I will say goodnight, sweetheart, it’s time to go….