A Podcast That Got Me Thinking
Recently, my good friend Joe Moyer appeared as a guest on the Focused podcast to discuss journaling. Joe is an expert on journaling, specializing in helping people start their journaling practice. He makes journaling more approachable and friendly for beginners.
Some people are intimidated by journaling. They feel they need an expensive leather-bound book and an expensive pen to begin journaling. Or, they feel like their thoughts aren’t worth writing about. Joe helps demystify the practice of journaling and confirms that you don’t need any of those expensive tools to write about what’s on your mind.
My Journaling Journey
Joe’s podcast prompted me to think about my own use of journaling. I’ve been journaling off and on for over 10 years now.
I’ve used several digital tools. For most of that time, I’ve used the Day One journaling app. I’ve also done a lot of journaling in the Craft app, even creating and sharing a journaling template with the community.
After using Craft for several months, I reverted to using Day One because I liked some of the features it offered, such as the ease of inserting photos into my entries. When I go on trips or take photos, I often like to include them in my journal.
Some people prefer to write their journaling thoughts on paper. I choose to use digital tools because I can use dictation to record my thoughts, access my journal on any device, and search through my writing to find specific words.
Day One is a part of my morning routine, based on apps on my iPad. I use a custom template within Day One, which asks me what I’m grateful for, states a couple of positive life intentions, and inquires, “What’s on my mind?”
I always list something I’m grateful for, and sometimes respond to the affirmations. However, I typically only dictate a response to “What’s on my mind?” when I’m aware that something significant is on my mind. I don’t journal when I feel like I have nothing to write about.
Often, it’s something going on in my life, past, present, or future. I’m dealing with a problem, going through a transition, or thinking about making changes or taking new directions. It may be feelings or thoughts I’m aware of, or both. Sometimes, it’s about an enjoyable hike, backpacking trip, or vacation I’ve taken.
Using Dictation to Journal
I find that dictation is the most effective way for me to journal. I can dictate directly into Day One, but I choose to use the Whisper Memos app because it automatically divides the text into logical paragraphs. The app transcribes my words, allowing me to copy and paste them into Day One.
Dictation makes it easier for me to explore and record my thoughts without editing them, as I would tend to do if I wrote them. When I dictate instead of writing, I find that my thoughts flow more freely, and the resulting text is more conversational.
Journaling as Self-Therapy
Journaling is primarily for me a form of self-discovery and self-therapy. When I’m dictating, I often discover what I’m thinking that lies beneath my conscious thoughts. It helps me to think through problems and possibilities. Along with mindfulness meditation, it’s a form of self-therapy and self-awareness.
I recently wrote several longer journal entries about the transition I’m currently going through. Last weekend, I concluded my part-time role as a National Park Service ranger and am now starting my work with a friend, helping him spend more time creating by providing him with administrative support. I’m also starting a retirement coaching practice, and I’m setting up a business organization to handle time accounting, invoicing, and accounting.
In my journaling, I acknowledged the conflicting emotions I felt about leaving my job with the National Park Service. I’d miss my social interactions with the staff, my uniform and status as a “real” ranger, and my interactions with visitors. On the other hand, I was looking forward to the extra time and energy I’d have to invest in my other interests.
There’s some sadness looking back, but anticipation and excitement looking forward. Journaling is helping me to navigate a critical transition in my life.
Journaling helps me to be aware of what I am feeling and thinking, and invites me to explore them. Too often in the past, I’ve focused only on my thinking, while ignoring my feelings. I become aware of both factors when I journal, which helps me understand myself and make better decisions.
Try a 10-Day Journaling Experiment
I encourage you to try journaling. It doesn’t matter what tools you use; a piece of paper and a pencil or pen is all you need. There’s no need to make it a long-term commitment. I suggest you conduct a “tiny experiment” where you commit to daily journaling for a specific period, such as 10 days.
At the end of the 10 days, reflect on the experience. If, at the end of 10 days, you decide that journaling is not for you, then it’s fine to stop right there. The experiment is not a failure. It helped you to understand something important about yourself, that journaling isn’t a good fit for you. However, if you find you benefited from journaling, you might choose to extend your experiment or turn it into a habit.
Joe Moyer offers a free 10-day journaling challenge, where you receive a different journaling prompt each morning via email. If you think that might be helpful to you, you can sign up to receive them at his journaling website.
AI Note: I wrote this blog post myself, using my own words for the initial draft. I used AI only to suggest headlines, section headings, and improvements to the text.
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