How do I journal and how should you journal?

HOW DO I JOURNAL?
So, what type of journaling do I do? And: How do I do? are virtually the same question.

If you were to ask me: "How do I journal and what type of journaling do I do?" I would answer: It depends on the day, on my mood, the weather, the time, and every other factor. I realize that really does not answer the question, but it doesn't make it any less true.

Question: How do I journal?

Simple Answer: I do what works for me at the time. 

More Complex Answer: I try to journal every day--at least one sentence. But, in reality  I journal at least 30 minutes a day. More often than not, I journal a couple hours every day--right now. A month ago, the one sentence thing was pushing it. So, like I said... How I journal depends. I do a combination of handwritten and digital for the first copy of my journal. But, I make sure within one week to get my handwritten on the Internet and on the cloud--so it is permanent  I journal what I do each day. I journal my experiences, thoughts, feelings emotions, about conversations I have  about AHA! moments, I count my blessings. I vent. I dream. I write. I journal on my cell, on my Amazon Kindle Fire (1st generation), and desktop. I journal with My Memories Suite (a digital scrapbook), Google Docs within my Google Drive, with Penzu (my latest favorite), and within the three books I just wrote and will receive in the next two weeks. I try to journal as much as possible about my past, present, and future. I capture work photographs in my journal. I wrote my life story in my journal. I make lists. I make mindmaps. I journal for fun. I journal when I am upset. I journal to plan goals and check my goals and how they're coming along. I write and journal to gain a new fresh perspective. I journal so I center myself and focus on God and draw nearer to him again. I pray. I do journaling prompts. I journal to check my priorities and see if I am living them well. I do SOCs (Stream of Conscious Journaling) more often than anything else. I talk about people, the news, events, and my reactions to them. 

In short, how do I journal? I do it all--and it all depends.

I do what works for me in that moment. 

I think this is how I've been able to journal for 30 years--and it feels like a matter of days at times--and like decades other times. But, overall, journaling is the mot rewarding thing I ever do with my life.

HOW SHOULD YOU JOURNAL?
I cannot stress this enough: DAILY.

Some journalkeepers would not agree with me. They would say whenever works for you.
Journaling is not meant to be convenient (but, it can be). It's not supposed to be easy (few things in life are easy. If things were easy, everyone would be doing them.). Journaling every day is demanding. I won't argue.

However...

Note, I did not say how much you should journal every day.

I will now, though.

Journal at least one sentence every single day 365 days a year. 

Yep. One sentence. That's it. To start.

But, make that one sentence count. Talk about the one event that stood out most from your day--positive or negative. What is it about that one event that was memorable? And, if I can't think of one thing... That brings up a whole new issue in my life. I should live every moment of my day--so that every moment is a memorable one. Otherwise, I am just skating by, living a mediocre existence--just surviving. I don't just want to live. I want to thrive. How about you? 

So, journal every day. One sentence.

Do that for a week.

Then, the following week, add one sentence per day. 

Then, add another sentence the following week. 

Keep adding sentences like this until you are up to however long that feels right to you--that day. I recommend half an hour a day on average. But, again, that is up to you. But journal at least one sentence every day. 

There is something I've learned through the years:

The more I journal, the higher quality of life I live.

It's in direct correlation. Literally. The more I journal, the better the life I live. Period. End of story.

(Image Credit: Microsoft Images Online.)

~ Stacy Duplease