Start out simple and let your life dictate your journal, or as I like to say “your story”, will take you. I suggest just picking up a plain journal and along with a good pen, keep it near your bedside. Every night or every few nights, jot down what is going on in your life. Share feelings of joy or maybe write down a concern or problem. Keep it simple. You can write about personal experiences or what is going on it the world. I wrote page after page about 9/11 and now, 8 years later I have all those feelings and memories preserved for my children to read. Jot down the weather, local or national news, a friends engagement, the movie you saw last night etc. Here are a couple of examples:
- Today work sucked! I was stuck in traffic, I missed lunch, I spilled coffee on my new skirt and Joe from Accounting is not taking the hint that I don’t want to “head out for drinks”!!
- Julie and I had the best time at dinner last night. She thinks Don is going to propose and so do I. I wonder if she will ask me to be the Maid of Honor.
- Tina came home from school today with all A’s on her report card! We are so proud of her. She really worked hard this semester and it paid off. I am so blessed to have her as my daughter.
- Devastating Earthquake in Haiti strikes, killing thousands of innocent people. This is just so heartbreaking and sad.
- The weekend went by fast. Plans for the baby shower coming along, the news continues to cover the tragedy in Haiti. Some amazing survival stories have touched my heart. NOTE: Joe in Accounting was transferred to the Cleveland office, thank goodness!
As time goes on, your journal writing will progress and take on a life of its own. I know I have seen my writing style change many times over the last 16 years. One thing I just added within the last few years is a list of the books I have read, their author and then I give the book a grade. I also added a section, also in the back, for momentous occasions, such as births, deaths, weddings or significant life events. This is a great way to keep track of special occasions and create a personal time line.
If typing is preferred to writing by hand then you can keep your journal online, however, be wary of sites offering online journals. I have not found one that I was personally comfortable with and would recommend. Be sure to do some checking on how secure the site is.
I would like to make one additional note about the contents of your journal. Remember that it is your story and all of us don’t have perfect fairy tale lives. It’s okay if you write that you sometimes want to throw yourself off a roof every time your mother criticizes your outfit or choice of boyfriends. This only means you’re dysfunctional like the rest of us and I guarantee that when your kids read your “story” (which is also partly their story) they will applaud your honesty.
Most of all be sure to have fun with it. Be creative, make it your own and use my ideas only as a guide to where your imagination takes you. Now go on, start your story today because it will be treasured tomorrow.
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