Journalling...

Who has time for that?

Off and on over the years since my youngest two came home, I have started and stopped journalling. The reasons I started journalling were varied, from needing a non-judgemental outlet for my emotions, to hoping to release some long pent-up issues, to reminding myself what is good in my life.

So once again I have started journalling. I'm planning on writing at the start of my day instead of waiting til the end when I'm tired. I'm taking a new approach as well. I've got a list of items to write about to get me started each time. Here they are:
My day
My goals
Specific problems or worries
Priorities/To-do lists
What I'm thankful for

A friend who is a journalling freak (in a good way!) and I were discussing the topic recently and it's because of her that once again I've started writing. She was telling me about how she has all the cool, funky journals that she writes in, and since she lives alone with two cats, she doesn't have to worry about her privacy being violated. She can leave her journals wherever she likes in her home and be inspired to write wherever she happens to be.

I was saying how I'm not one of those who keep their journals forever, and I usually end up shredding them. For me, once it's down on paper I don't want to look back and see where I've been and what I was thinking. (What WAS I thinking?!)

But that's the great thing about journalling she tells me. It's all about you and you don't have to be politically correct, or polite, or nice, or neat or anything you don't want to be. You get to say what you want at that moment, and it's only for you. Not many places we get to do that, is there?

Not that anyone would probably read my stuff, or that they would be offended by what I wrote, but that's the whole point. I need to be able to write what I feel at any certain time knowing that no one else needs to know about it. It's one of the few places I can be totally honest without anyone (except myself) making judgements.

Besides, journalling gives me the excuse to go shopping for another cool book to write in.

Does anyone else journal? What do you write about? How do you get started? How often do you write?