People have been keeping journals for as long as the human species were able to write. This goes back thousands of years ago.
We even have insight into personal lives during extremely hard times because of journals. For instance, Anne Frank enriched the world with her journaling during World War II, and there are many more journals out there.

People don’t journal as much as they used to and it seems like it’s a long-lost habit. However, a more digital version of journaling is on its rise.

Nevertheless, keeping a journal does have benefits.

Below you will find why keeping a journal would be a smart thing to do and might inspire you to start journaling as well.

Eight Benefits of Journaling

1. Organizes your thoughts

Journaling makes your thoughts more perceivable. When you journal you made your thoughts, which are no matter, into something more physical. It will structure what is within and can give you great clarity to what really going on inside.

 When you record daily thoughts, feelings or events you can surely see a pattern in your thought and behavior. This also gives you the option to do something about your circumstances.

2. Set & achieve your goals

Milestones can be achieved when you choose to monitor your goals and ambitions. You can see your progress and keep yourself motivated because of your growing results day by day, month after month.

You can keep growing your skill set and achievements. Journaling can make you very goal- and result-oriented.  

3. Memory boosting habit

Have you ever heard that writing things down actually helps you remember it better?

Just like organizing your thoughts, it also helps you to boost your memory. If not, you can also read it through once again to remember how you felt or what you did.

When you put pen to paper, a connection is made with your brain and because of the action of actually making sense of some letters and sentences in your head, you build a stronger memory around it. This can not only help you in  the topic or event that your journaling about but also in everyday life, because it strengthens the brain.

4. Cultivates creativity

Putting what’s in your head to paper can give you a great passage to your creativity. You might be amazed what ideas lie just beyond the surface of your conscious mind. Let your imagination run wild. You don’t have to share your journal with anyone, so why won’t you let you best side out and be creative. You will find you have a great lot to tell. Who knows, maybe you are the next J.K. Rowling.

5. Record ideas on-the-go

Since you are letting your creative side on the loose, you might want to take a journal with you. This can be on your phone or tablet but of course, paper will serve as well. Since, in these digital days,  your phone or tablet seems more ‘everyday’. Keeping a digital journal with all your ‘brain dumps’, dated journals and all other stuff you write about might be the best option. You can revisit your entries and make new links or just be inspired by something new.

Looking for a digital journal or planner? Go to the Push Your Potential Shop to see which digital product would fit you best.

6. Development of writing skills

Writing every single day will of course do something for your writing skills. You might want to write about a certain topic of your interest or just simply your thoughts.

Eventually, you will notice that writing something doesn’t take you any effort and you write easily which might also benefit your career chances.  

7. Reduces stress

Frustration and anxieties can build up during the day and can make your day less enjoyable.

Taking time to write it all out while journaling and using it as a “brain-jump” can relieve you from a lot of undesired thoughts and feelings.

Doing this in the morning can help you start your day stress-free. While doing this in the evening can give you a clean slate before going to bed. You can do both or just one, whatever you prefer.

8. Time to self-reflect

When journaling at night, you can look back on your day or even a complete week and see how you have done in comparison to what you think your week would look like.

It gives us time to reflect.

Really sit back and look at our lives from a bystander perspective. When we pause our hectic existence we can focus on gratitude and reflect on how we can improve ourselves for more progress.