Your sign to start journaling

How writing almost every day for 11 months improved my life

Good morning from sunny London ☕️

So far this blog has been a way to share essays once every three months when I felt I had something “big” to say. But I’d like to build more of an active habit of sharing my writing and ideas, so I’ll try to be less strict with myself when it comes to whether the topic of a blog post here is ✨groundbreaking✨ or not. So today, as I sit at the new cozy and laptop-friendly cafe I discovered in London (a never-ending quest), I’d like to write about one of the things that have changed my life drastically in the past year, in an attempt to inspire you to try it out too: Journaling.

I have always been really intrigued by the concept of “having a journal”, ever since I could remember- I’m not sure why. Maybe it was an early fondness for stationary or for capturing my everyday life. I now think it’s closer to this: an eagerness to be an explorer of the human experience, in every way.

But although the curiosity was there, the commitment never was; until November of last year, when I felt pulled to make what was honestly the most beneficial commitment. I had seen so much content about it online and other people’s journals always appealed to me, the concept of a tangible representation of their life and inner world. I think it finally kicked in when I realized how life-changing it would be had I been journaling since I was a teen; to be able to read back at my thoughts from years ago would allow me to understand myself so much better, but I didn’t have that opportunity, because I had never stuck to it. I was talking about this with my sister, and when I turned 23 in November, I received a journal in the mail from her as a gift. It ended up being the best gift ever. So I thought, what better time than 23 to finally begin? I’m sure my 30 year-old self will be very, very grateful.

I also sometimes felt that I didn’t know myself as much as I should. I felt like I would go through days happily living life but without noticing what was on my mind. What was I thinking all day? How was I evolving? Was I learning? I had no way to really know, and I really wanted to.

Fast-forward to today: it has been 11 months since November 2022 and I have written over 400 pages (that sounds insane… heading for a War-and-Peace-style memoir in a couple of years at this pace). My black 0.38 Muji pen and I are inseparable. I can’t imagine ever stopping. I don’t usually journal about my day, but rather just put whatever’s on my mind on paper. Here’s how writing almost every day has changed my life:

1. Processing life + practicing mindfulness

Something I find very interesting is that it’s been proven that writing on paper (instead of typing on a computer) helps you process things better. So many people say they can’t stick to journaling because their mind thinks so much faster than their hand can write. Well, of course. We have thousands of thoughts per day. But writing on paper is like a form of meditation; it’s mindfulness at its best. You force yourself to slow down and be present, something that most of us could use a little more of. When you slow down and write anything that comes to your mind, you’re also forced to process it. As writing progresses linearly, you naturally go from one thought to the next, instead of having to deal with a tangled mess of thoughts in your mind. For the very practical people among us, this basically means: you’re much more likely to process your life and emotions if you write about them than if you don’t. And that’s good for you.

2. Becoming a better thinker

By writing down what’s on your mind, you’re forced to articulate it in a clear and coherent way. That inevitably helps you spot inconsistencies, gaps, and patterns. Without writing, unless you’re an extremely analytical thinker, that’s very difficult to achieve to the same extent.

3. Self-awareness

Writing is the perfect tool for self-improvement and self-awareness. Life lessons present themselves to you, you get to have a tangible account of your personal growth, and you gain clarity about the things that make you you. Unless you spend a lot of time just looking out the window and thinking, it’s likely you don’t have much time in your day-to-day life for introspection. Having a safe space where you can explore your own mind is like a gift that keeps on giving. Getting to look back at past journal entries can be very enlightening sometimes. For example, seeing how anxious you were about a certain situation that ended up turning out fine; if that’s a pattern, you’ll likely know better next time.

4. Problem-solving and decision-making

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Journaling is kind of like therapy. It helps you work through your problems, understand them better, and come to decisions in a more structured way. Who couldn’t use that?

5. Preserving life

A wise philosopher once said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” (Ok it was Ferris Bueller that said that). Well, it’s very true. Journaling is a way to ensure that your life experience and memories stand the test of time. To me, it’s reassuring and exciting knowing that I’m giving my future self the opportunity to revisit past versions of me whenever I want to. It creates a line of communication between different versions of yourself. I can learn from my past experiences, spot new patterns with a more experienced eye, and know that no matter what, I don’t have to forget about the things that shaped me as time passes.

Pic from Pinterest - I just love the idea that these notebooks contain someone’s life

How does that all sound? If you feel intrigued, if a part of you is like “I could honestly use this”, then maybe that’s your sign. And in addition to all that, sticking to a mindful habit is never a waste of time. So if you are the type of person that wants to constantly understand themselves and the world better, journaling regularly will change your life. And two very important lessons I’ve learned along the way:

• No, you don’t have to wait until you find the perfect journal to begin… I would know, I’ve wasted too much time researching. 🥲 But if you don’t know where to start, my favorite is the Leuchtturm 1917 A5 classic notebook (hardcover, lined).

• Some days you will tell yourself that you honestly have nothing to write about. Nothing big on your mind, nothing interesting happening. I highly recommend writing anyway. Check out Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages exercise from the book The Artist’s Way. It relies on the fact that even when you think you have nothing to say, there’s always something on your mind, and it’s worth exploring.

• Assure yourself that no one is ever going to read your journals, because that’s the only way to write authentically, honestly, and without a fear of judgement. Being fully honest -even to yourself- is difficult for some people. Your journal can be for you alone; use it as a space where your subconscious and your conscious self can meet.

If this post convinces even one person to start journaling, my job here is done. And if anything, at least you’ll get to be that one person writing at a cafe. What are they writing about? No one knows, because you’re just so mysterious.

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