125 Journal Entries Later
A list of learnings about the process, the experience and the outcome.
There is no right or wrong way to journal; there is only one that suits you. I maintained a journal for a short while when I was 11 (I still have it!). I wrote every detail about my day. There may not have been any learnings in those journal entries, but that’s what I felt comfortable doing back then. How I journal now is so different from how I journaled then, but my past has led me to the present. That’s all I know.
The best part about journaling is that there is no backspace. That is why my journal entries are full of manual corrections, which add a human touch to the entire experience. How often do we get that in a digital world.
A journal will never judge you no matter what, so you can truly be yourself.
Writing a journal entry with a blue pen is simply not acceptable!
I have tried it, and it has never given me the same level of satisfaction that a journal entry written with a black pen has. (I have since concluded that my eyes can never get used to that aesthetic.)
I have proof of my progress. My journal has seen the days when I was on a career break and questioning everything. It has also seen the days when I felt free, present and at peace.
Consistency is not compulsory for the whole experience to be fulfilling when it comes to journaling. I have only managed to write 125 entries in the last 731 days, but I could have written none, and easily missed out on building something meaningful, thinking there is no point in continuing if I am not consistent.
I have physical proof of which habits have worked for me and which haven’t in my wellness journey. For instance, I know that making my bed first thing in the morning impacts me positively. So, whenever I step out of that habit, I know I need to get back into it.
When I was a kid, my parents used to get our pictures printed and convert them into photo albums. We have sadly moved away from that culture many years ago. With my second journal, I decided to print and paste pictures of meaningful moments of my life next to some journal entries and it has only added more meaning and converted my journal into a memory book for generations to come.
The reason why Unwind is still up and running is because of my journal. I never realised until recently that most of my weekly newsletters were once a journal entry (including this one). It is easy to block creativity from your life when you live on autopilot. In the last two years, a tiny notebook has served as a bridge for me to walk out of the autopilot lifestyle. I will forever be grateful!
THIS WEEK’s RECOMMENDATIONS
This week, I have decided to share my favourite post from each of the top 3 publications I read this summer, as shared by
. Hope you enjoy reading these posts as much as I did!A Few Things by
.Finding home by
.- .
If you enjoy reading Unwind, I would love it if you consider recommending the publication to your readers. Simply go to your dashboard > Recommendations > Manage > Add recommendation > Unwind.
I love your consistency and love for your practice of journaling.
There's a lot of beauty in revisiting old writings, seeing what you thought and felt when you wrote them. Journaling makes this possible, more than any other kind of writing.
Thank you for sharing that post as well.