***Why journal: the Single Greatest Tool

Why journal: A new year has just begun. Now is the perfect time to establish, renew or continue the habit of stating your dreams and goals, chronicling your life’s events, recording your great accomplishments and collecting ideas – yours and other peoples.

More than just a history or memoir, a journal can be the single greatest tool we have for finding the answers within ourselves. Jou
als help us discover what we really want, think and believe, and also the wisdom we already possess.

Your next great solution or creative idea may be as close as your nearest pen and journal. A notebook for ideas and memories, your journal can also be a great place to chronicle your life’s journey. As you become more and more comfortable with the process of jou
aling you will find it an amazing tool for easing worry and obsession, identifying hopes and fears and charting a course to becoming the you that you’ve always known you could be. As you allow your creative mind to expand, you increase your level of energy and confidence, your inner voice becomes stronger and you find yourself living in a whole new way.

Over the coming months, we will explore the process of jou
aling from different points of view. Whether you are a first time jou
aler or have jou
aled for years, there are a few general guidelines to remember that will help keep you on track.

There are NO Rules!
A journal is a very personal undertaking. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Jou
aling is a way to spend time with yourself, writing freely about anything and everything.

Make Timer
While jou
aling can and should be done any time you have something to write, when getting started, try to set aside a specific time when you can be free of interruptions or distractions.

Mark The Dater
Though many who journal write daily, it is not a requirement. Whenever you write, always record the date and time. When reviewing your journal you will notice patterns and trends as well as have a history of the events of your life and how you felt.

Keep It Safe!
Jou
aling is a very personal and private practice. It is important that you create a safe environment in which to express yourself. Make sure that your journal is kept in a place where no one else can read it and that the people around you know not to read it.

Be open and honest.
Be honest about your feelings, hopes and dreams. This is for your eyes only, so there is no one to criticize or tell you it can’t be done and there is no one to impress.

Write Quickly and Naturallyr
It doesn’t matter what you write or how well constructed your sentences are. What matters is that you write what comes naturally. Don’t think about it, just write it. The words that come quickly to mind are usually the most honest and true and you will be more likely to continue developing the habit of writing if you don’t feel confined to a specific structure or style of writing.