I am grateful for my journal. After a few false starts over the course of my life, last November I began a daily journal. I am now on my sixth journal having filled more than 800 pages with handwritten meanderings. Many have turned into The Rob Log posts but most of the content is random thoughts, ideas and observations.
The power of my daily journal is the ability to record thoughts and ideas in a more concrete form than a passing thought. Writing shines a brighter light of awareness on my thoughts. Negative thoughts are contemplated with greater ease and tend not to compound as much on paper as they can in my mind. I capture ideas, giving them the opportunity to become reality.
I love writing in cursive. My handwriting is far from elegant and requires a mindful approach to legibly move words from mind to pen to paper. I recently bought a good fountain pen to reduce waste. It has elevated the level of enjoyment I get from my journal.
I don't journal every day but it is rare for more than a single day to pass without picking up my pen and journal. First thing in the morning I make a cup of hot tea and write while it steeps. Not every day is prolific but more often than not I can tap into a flow of words.
At the end of each entry I draft a list of tasks I want to accomplish under the heading TODAY. The next day I revisit the list checking off completed tasks and moving any important tasks forward. It gives focus to my actions.
I am grateful for my journal and all it provides.