Keeping a Journal Resolution

January 6, 2009 – 7:05 pm

Many of us renew journal writing with vigor at the beginning of the year.  There’s a sense of turning a new page and starting the year fresh. with new habits and routines.  There certainly is a spike of LifeJournal sales this time of year–indicating many people make keeping a journal an intention of the New Year.

As a long-time journal writer (over 35 years!) I know that one of the challenges of journal writing is writing consistently.  How do make that happen and retain the delicate balance between enjoying writing and feeling obligated to do so?  Ultimately, journal writing is its own reward, yet I know that feeling at times of reluctance to write.  However, I almost always recognize that after even a brief journal writing session that I feel much better, kind of internally “cleaner” and “smoother.”

If you feel similarly, keep that “cleaner and smoother” endpoint in mind when you are conflicted about writing an entry.  Remember how much better you feel after writing.

Journal writing helps me keep in touch with myself in the midst of juggling many tasks and roles. Journal writing is a mini-vacation in the midst of my overstuffed days.

By Ruth Folit | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Write about your kids now for a meaningful gift later

December 29, 2008 – 6:13 pm

I’ve been busy with family this last week and half and I’m enjoying it.  My children are home on break from college and we’ve had great discussions about politics, their future, some of their childhood memories–you know, the whole gamut of family discussions.  And now my young nieces–5 and 8 years old–are visiting for a few days.

The contrast between our adult children and our young nieces is a stark reminder about yes, the cliche “how quickly they grow up.”  Yes, they did grow up quickly, and sometimes I am glad they did! However, my sweet memories of Sara and Ben as kids is something I deeply cherish. I only wish I had more stories captured in writing rather than in my memory which tends to drop details as time passes.  Now I wish I had written more about the vignettes of everyday life–our conversations, their likes and dislikes, their victories and their disappointments.  For me, when I was in the moment of parenting it felt like extra work to write about my kids; but, all I can tell you today is, as a parent of two who are 25 and 21 years old, I wish I had more written about them.

I’ve spoken to people who told me how they had selected portions of these writings (the best stuff is included and the teeth-gnashing times are omitted)  and had presented them as birthday or holiday gifts. I can’t think of a more touching and real gift from a parent to a child.

By Ruth Folit | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

5 Reasons to Keep a Journal NOW

December 14, 2008 – 11:11 pm

1. LESS STRESS: The world economy is floundering and many of our personal financial situations are uncertain.  We’re living through stressful times with many  feeling anxiety from losing our jobs, from dwindling earnings and/or savings, or from having too much debt.  Writing about emotions is a safe way to vent and express fear and anger without damaging relationships and without keeping those corrosive feelings bottled up inside.

2. UNIQUE AND HISTORIC TIMES:  Clearly we are living through exciting, interesting, and historic times worthy of reflection and recording. We can tell our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren the real stories of our lives by keeping notes and recounting anecdotes. We’ll have the raw material to write memoirs to share with family members or, perhaps, to later publish.

3. TIME OF TRANSISTIONS AND RE-PRIORITIZING: Many of us will be dealing with some kind of transition, demanding making tough decisions and/or solving problems–which might also require rethinking our priorities and values.  It’s a perfect opportunity to get in touch with our deepest, most authentic selves; what we  really want and need; and what our core values are.

4. BETTER HEALTH: Stressful times can erode our health. During the last several decades, researchers found that people who wrote about significant and meaningful events of their lives were more healthy than those who wrote about superficial or trivial topics.  Furthermore, research has shown that writing about meaningful subjects has helped not only people who are generally healthy maintain their health (for example, go to the doctor less frequently) but also helped those who are sick lessen their symptoms.

5.CLARITY: With the world in flux, it’s an excellent time to help create our own futures: to map out strategies for desired changes, to plan how to meet challenges, and to be clear about what’s most important.  Writing about our goals, our priorities, and our personal guiding principles offer solid anchor points to return to when deciding the best way to spend time and money.

It doesn’t cost much to keep a journal, but the rewards are huge.  Keeping a journal helps you stay in touch with and express your feelings, and helps you discover who are you. Clear out confusion and gain clarity by  keeping a journal.  Reflection, writing, and self-discovery enrich your everyday experiences. In the words of Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

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As year ends, good time to review your journal

December 11, 2008 – 1:27 pm

Periodically, it is helpful to step back and take stock of your life. Re-reading your journal as the year ends is an excellent way to do that.  You have captured the subjective views of your life in your journal entries, and, with the aid of a wide-angle lens of time and a little synthetic detective work, you can gain a big-picture perspective of your life—like reaching the top of a mountain at the end of hike and looking back to see the route you have traveled. Re-reading your journal thoughtfully can be an important step in the process of your evolution.

Before embarking on a journal re-reading, it’s imperative to have the right attitude. The review process is about gaining greater understanding of yourself, NOT about beating yourself up. Reading past entries can bring up all sorts of feelings— surprise, admiration, embarrassment, boredom, respect, sadness, and scorn. The trick is to approach the re-reading with self-acceptance, openness, compassion, humor, and non-judgment.

One technique to staying positive and non-judgmental as you are reading your journal is to imagine that you are listening to a good friend. Good friends can help each other look for the silver lining, the positive spin, life patterns, and lessons learned from an experience.

Make a date with yourself in the next couple of weeks to re-read your journal with an open-mind and an open-heart.  You can re-read everything that you have written, or pick and choose based upon questions that you are looking to answer.  More  on that in the next few posts…

By Ruth Folit | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (0)

The Swiss Army knife of journal software: LifeJournal

December 8, 2008 – 11:16 pm

I’ve been thinking about the hammer analogy of the previous post. Yes, journals are tools that people use for a variety of purposes.  And I’d then suggest that LifeJournal is the Swiss Army knife of journal software: Many cool tools packed into one easy-to-use program.

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Your purpose in keeping a journal?

December 7, 2008 – 12:26 pm

Just like a hammer can be used to build a mansion or a tree house, a fence or chair, journals are tools, used for many purposes. Whether you use your journal to write about your family and kids, your personal growth, your health, your spiritual growth, or to maintain a straightforward record of conversations with clients and/or colleagues, or to dig deeply into discovering more about your authentic self, NOW is a great time to start or renew your journal keeping practice.

What are your purposes in keeping a journal?

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A shot of journal juice

December 2, 2008 – 12:18 am

Every now and then it feels great to get a shot of “journal juice” that gives you a boost of journal inspiration.  Well, belly up to the bar with me and have an invigorating shot of journal-writing motivation from a long-time LifeJournal friend, Barbara Bretton.  The following is an excerpt from an interview I did with best selling author Bretton (www.barbarabretton.com) in July, 2001.  Here’s a couple of paragraphs from a professional author who tells it like it is:

“Someone asked me once why I bothered to keep a journal. Wasn’t it a pain in the ass, she asked, having to step outside the borders of yourself and observe what was happening? Wouldn’t you rather just live your life and let the details fall where they may?

Well, no. Not at all. Not even a little bit. This is your **life** we’re talking about here, your one shot at getting it right (or enjoying what you’re getting wrong.) Who you were and what you thought and how you acted last Thursday or ten years ago is part of who you are right this minute. The wisecracks, the walks in the rain, the overdue rent, the hospital vigils, the trips to the supermarket, ironing shirts - it’s all part of one glorious whole and if you don’t take the time to mark it down, to preserve it in amber, it will all be lost and I guarantee you’ll be the poorer for it. Very often the answers you’re looking for today can be found in yesterday’s questions.”

Happy journaling!



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Thanksgiving–a good time to start a gratitude journal

November 28, 2008 – 7:12 pm

If you can, take a reflective break this Thanksgiving weekend to write a journal entry with a list of specifics of what you feel grateful for in your life: What is good about your relationships with family and friends, what is right with your health, what you enjoy at your work, what you like about your house or living situation, what parts of your life that you feel lucky to a be involved.  Stop and write for 15 minutes, or longer, and then come back here to the blog.  (C’mon, try it….)

How do you feel after writing that list?

Do want to enjoy that warm, inner glowing feeling more often? Well, then, write often in your journal about what you feel grateful for that day. The benefits of keeping a gratitude journal are two: First, you create a product which is a record of what you are grateful for and which you can review easily. And second, you are generating a life process–training yourself to scan for the positives. It’s a way to help you create a daily habit of noticing what’s good in your life.

Learn more about how you can appreciate what’s good in your life at www.lifejournal.com/gratitude_journal.

And, a Happy Thanksgiving to all!

By Ruth Folit | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments (0)

Keeping a Dream Journal

November 18, 2008 – 2:52 pm

One of the ways I have used my journal has been to record my dreams.  There was a period in my life when I was quite interested in remembering and recording my dreams. I view dreams as conversations with and messages to myself that help me uncover those qualities and characteristics of myself I can’t see clearly while awake.

I read books about dream interpretation. One of the best I think is A Little Course in Dreams by Robert Bosnak, a Dutch Jungian psychologist. I kept a notebook on my night table next to my bed, along with a pen that had a light in it, so I could write without disturbing my sleeping husband.

I found that when I was intent on trying to remember my dreams, when I focused my energies in that direction, then I was better able to remember them. It may take a week or more, but one technique is to tell yourself before you go to bed, that you’ll remember your dreams, and soon, you do. Bosnak also has some good memory exercises that will assist in remembering those dream.

On an unusually good night I could remember three dreams—or snippets of dreams. Sometimes only one (usually in the morning before rising) was retrievable. The idea, though, is to patiently put your interest and energy behind the intent or recording your dreams, and you’ll be surprised what follows.

Dreams are not linear, but filled with symbolism, metaphor, and patterns. What’s most important, according to Bosnak and others, is the images of the dreams.  Record whatever remembered images and details, no matter how trivial or absurd they may seem. If there’s some kind of a story line, include it as well as the setting of the dream. They will offer clues to meaning. The more you remember the more material you  will have in decoding it.

Interpreting dreams isn’t a straightforward process; it’s more like a stumbling around in the dark to find your way. But the first step is to remember your dreams and record them.


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Best way to journal: Handwritten or typed? Both!

November 12, 2008 – 3:34 pm

In our webinar last night, someone brought up a common journal question: Which is better–writing by hand or using a keyboard?

Some people love the experience of the movement of arm and hand with pen or pencil moving across paper and the soothing sounds of the scratching against the page. Others like the feel of fingers tap dancing on the keyboard accompanied by the rhythmic click-clacking of keys. I think that journal writing should include a comfortable physical experience with both pleasant touch and auditory sensations.

I think those of us who were born prior to the 1970s may naturally feel more at home writing with a pen on paper.  However, even those of us who didn’t grow up with computers during our teen or young adult years have learned to be comfortable with a keyboard.

Some of us note the division of our writing tools: keyboarding at work and handwriting for pleasure.  Others feel that their handwriting is so slow and illegible that keyboarding has its advantages, regardless where you are.

Still others feel that the handwriting/keyboarding schism figures in to where their writing originates: handwriting is more connected to their hearts and keyboarding is more connected to their brains. (Often I’ve been able to reach a trancelike state where I can close my eyes and type on a keyboard with the comfort and ease of heartfelt writing that bypasses the brain.   It’s almost impossible to close one’s eyes and handwrite legibly.  So I think there are ways to bridge the heart/brain gap in keyboarding.)

I would think that those of us over 30 years old have some ambivalence—sometimes keyboarding works for journal writing, sometimes handwriting is preferable.  So how to resolve this dilemma??

Like most decisions, deciding to journal on keyboard or paper is a question of trade-off and balance. A key question is whether the advantages of a computer journal (privacy, organization, inspiration, comprehensiveness, and search-ability) outweigh the benefits of the comfort of handwriting.  And then—-I can always hope that there’s a way to have my cake and eat it too. I’m a fan of that option, whenever possible.  So in LifeJournal I created the have-it-all option:

LifeJournal, journal software (www.lifejournal.com) has a feature that lets you index your writing.  For those times that you feel like you just have to handwrite, do so.  Later, you can include that entry into a LifeJournal entry. Open a LifeJournal entry and enter the date of your handwritten entry and give it a title. Then in the body of the LifeJournal entry, write a description of the journal (e.g. the green spiral notebook) with the page number where the handwritten entry can be found.  You can assign topic(s) to this “placeholder” LifeJournal entry. And if you have passages in the handwritten entry that you really feel are important, type the portions of the entry, so that it is quickly accessible. Then, in the journal entry toolbar, there’s a button that toggles between “typed” and “handwritten.” By default the button is in the “typed” mode; click on it and it toggles to “handwritten.”  When you perform a search (using the Advanced Search dialog), you can select/deselect “handwritten entries” in your search.

So, no need to make an either/or choice. You can integrate both your typed and handwritten entries with LifeJournal while you are eating your cake.



By Ruth Folit | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

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