This is a letter which I sent to an acquaintance -Mr. X- who asked for journal writing suggestions. Two decades have passed since Mr. X has written in a journal. He wanted to start again and asked if I had any tips. I did. What follows…
Use Your Journal to Improve Language Skills
The premiere Korean language company- Talk to Me in Korean- suggests one thing to do to improve the study of Korean- use a journal. This can be applied to learning any language. They suggest that you write every day in your journal using the language skills…
Addressing the YOU of five years ago in your journal
The leader of a Facebook group recently asked a question similar to the following, a question which might be a great journal prompt: What is something that you have done which would have impressed the you of five years ago? That’s a mouthful. This prompt is…
A Public Journal
Ten years ago I would give away paper journals to relatives and friends, hoping they would join me in recording their lives. They often did not take me up on the offer. Enter the touchscreen phone/smartphone, the tablet, etc. Now they record their lives in more…
Templates Create Efficiency in Your Journal’s To-Do List
If your journal also houses your to-do list, then efficiency in creating those lists is necessary to get the job done. One of the biggest culprits of to-do list failure, of not achieving the goal, is the tedium of having to write and rewrite your list…
Which Pen Should You Use for Journal Writing?
Use the writing implement or medium that works for you and your journal. If a Visconti Rembrandt fountain pen makes you eager to write, go for that investment. If a store brand pen which you can buy in packs of 50 gets your creative juices flowing…
Old Journals Are Like Letters to Yourself
Have you written a letter to your future self? Depending on the purpose of your journal, your personal book can serve as an extended letter to self, featuring goals, wishes, your ideology. . . Everything. Anything. This morning, I read an entry from ten years ago.…
How to Write a 5-Minute Journal
When Tim Ferriss mentions his daily writing routine in Tools of Titans, I was intrigued. He calls the routine the 5-Minute Journal. The 5-Minute Journal is a series of writing prompts that Ferris uses every day – morning and evening- to recall daily highlights and to…
What Would You Do If You Were Not Afraid?
What has prevented you from reaching your goals? Is part of it fear? Fear of what? Writing it all down in private, in a journal (paper or digital) helps to process what’s going on internally. From there, you have a better stance from which to address…
Do You Use a Table of Contents in Your Journal?
How many of you use a table of contents in your paper journal? While it is perfectly possible to enjoy the benefits of journal writing without labeling each entry, a table of contents or an index will help to skim the journal for an entry that…
Journey Digital Journal [A Review]
Inspired by the founder of National Journal Writing Month, Bakari Chavanu, who talks about his enjoyment of digital journal writing, this month I journaled using an app on my phone. I used the Journey brand of digital journal, which is for Android. You type as you…
How to Stop Imitating Your Heroes and Just Get Started Already
In a Facebook group, a business owner asked how to become “unstuck” in the planning stage. There are projects waiting to be finished, but she’s busy reading more content from other business owners who inspire her. How can she become “unstuck” and not just copy someone…
How to Use a Journal to Remember a Recently-Deceased Relative
When a loved one dies, you might wish to remember the person by writing about your experience in your journal, writing about the deceased and keeping mementos. Here are a few things that I have done with a journal during Aunt C’s recent illness and death:…
Thoughts on Influence
As we looked through Aunt C’s personal property the other day, preparing to give away most of it, I noticed items here and there that I had given to her through the years. Aunt C displayed prominently a personalized birthday card that I sent her 6…
How to Handle a Funeral as an Introvert
My family recently held a funeral. It is the kind of funeral where dozens of cousins and others from all over the planet join together in one spot to remember our deceased relative. From the carpooling, to the hosting duties, to having to meet and greet…
Do You Reread Your Journals?
People write in journals for a variety of reasons. Depending on the purpose of the journal, rereading it can be useful. Sometimes, however, rereading the journal serves no purpose for you or perhaps it is too painful. However, for those of us who use journals to…
How to Handle Social Disapproval [Cornell Study]
According to a Cornell study, social approval (or lack of it) does not affect people who have a sense of purpose. Or, rather, it does not affect them as much as it does those whose self-esteem hangs on being liked. Anthony Burrow, a co-author of the…
Introvert at a Family Reunion
Family reunions can crop up at any time, especially during holidays. You love your relatives, but the crowds can be draining for those of us who are introverts and gather our energy from solitude or quiet. We are like the battery in your phone -plug us…
Why Do You Write?
We all write for different reasons. Here are a few that I’ve found. ~ You write as a natural extension of the skill of reading, wanting to recreate or create your own version of what you’ve seen. ~ Eventually, you write out of habit. ~ You…
Digital Journal Vs. Paper Journal Debate, NaJoWriMo Founder Weighs In
Author and founder of the National Journal Writing Month, Bakari Chavanu, weighs in on the debate of digital journal vs. paper journal in his article, “10 Reasons I Prefer Digital Journal Writing Over Pen and Paper.” My favorite of his reasons for using a digital journal…
Ziglar Quotes for Motivation
Hilary “Zig” Ziglar (1926-2012) was an author and motivational speaker filled with pithy quotes for overcoming obstacles and continuing with your goals. Here are a few that I hope will be helpful to you. Sincerely, Deborah Zig Ziglar Quotes “Of course motivation is not permanent. But…
How to Journal: 7 Journal Writers Give Advice
Whether you have just begun journal writing, or have been doing it for years, or are taking it up again after a hiatus, these fellow journal writers are here to inspire you in the journey. I’ve compiled quotes and links to their full content. Enjoy! Sincerely,…
How to Think about Regret
Thoughts on regret. It seems that regret should be handled like pain – it’s a warning that something is wrong and should be addressed immediately. Regret seems to be useless beyond that initial stab of discomfort. Otherwise, you’ll end up trying to change what is unchangeable-…
What Would You Like Your Life to Look Like?
Picture your ideal life. What does it look like? Are you working 6 months then off to explore other interests for the rest of the year? Are you speaking at conferences, sharing your experiences in life? Are you simply making twice as much as your current…
If you need one more reason NOT to procrastinate, here’s one.
There once was a person -let’s call the person Mr. X- who had a fatal disease. Mr. X spoke of all the things he still wanted to do in life. They were not improbable things – he wasn’t asking to vacation on Saturn. They were fairly…