Welcome
Welcome to the 1st The Daily Collection #1.
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So, What?
I know what you might be wondering about what I just said in the previous section in this blog post (in the welcome). I know I sure would wonder about that if I were you. My questions would be: So, what? Or: What is a daily collection? And then I might wonder: What is it the first daily collection and is it the obvious possibility?
Let me see if I can address these questions and more.
Yes. This is what you might expect. Daily Collection #1 the very first collection of blog posts (journal entries) about journaling. The daily collections will include journaling thoughts, questions, prompts, some of my (JKSD) personal journaling (as inspiration to help you with your journaling), and anything else journaling (except for the proverbial kitchen sink).
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The Purposes of the Daily Collections
The first and main purpose of this collection (and each hereafter) is to give you, a fellow journal keeper, several ideas and inspirations to help you journal today.
The secondary purpose is really a confession. If I were to write several blog posts a day and publish each of them, you would get far too many in your email box. Moreover, it isn't very fun to read several blog posts on a computer, laptop, cell, or tablet screen. Therefore, I am creating a daily collection so it will be several different thoughts on journaling, and how to journal, in one place.
Another purpose for these daily collections is to begin to build an unabridged collection of everything we ever wanted to know about journaling, along with the things we never knew we wanted to know about journaling, and everything we can do with our journaling. The truth is in my journals, I have over thirty-eight years of material to share on journaling, along with samples of my personal journaling that you might find useful and inspirational. I am going to bring some of that material out and will write new material to share as well.
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The Beginning and Growing Pains of These Daily Collections
Let me start this section with another confession. At first, these "Daily" collections will not be daily. Or if they are, they will be shorter and less organized than what they will be later on. It will take a week or two (month or two) for me to find the right format and rhythm. Therefore, these daily collections will be a work in progress. I ask for your patience and grace as I/we experiment and see what works best.
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Edited and Expanded Daily Collections, Then Turned Into Books
Yes. It is my hope that in time, I will combine the daily collections from the Journal Keeper SD blog into books that I publish. But, first, I will edit and expand upon (add to) them. That way, you can have a continual tool in your toolbox to use to help inspire you with your journaling. After all, no journal exercise (prompt or questions) should be done just once. Rather, they can and should be repeated whenever you have the inkling. After all, each time you journal the prompt or question, you will come up with at least a slightly different answer, if not a new one altogether.
If these collections are in book form, it's much easier to look at, and far more convenient, than looking at a blog or website.
I will publish these daily collections in paper and e-book form originally.
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Let's Get Started
Now, shall we get started? Here's the 1st daily collection on journaling:
Grab Your Journal: Start With Your Journal Open and Waiting
It's time to grab your journal and open it so you can start journaling immediately. That way, if you think of anything you want to journal as you read this collection, you can stop reading and immediately begin to capture words on the page.
As a matter of fact, I recommend always having your journal open and ready for you to write in it the moment something comes to mind or inspiration hits.
I carry around a cheap spiral notebook, a one-subject notebook that is less than a dollar at the store, and I always have it ready to jot down anything that comes to mind. This is the first place I journal, and is what I carry around with me literally everywhere I go, even at home (I take it with me from room to room), and even bring this journal when I leave the house. It's always there, is waiting, and ready for me to scribble something on the page.
But, then later each day, I type up everything that I write in that spiral journal and expand upon it in a document on my computer, tablet, and sometimes cell phone. From there, I print that out and save the file in three different places online (including emailing myself the document) so I can make sure I never lose my journaling.
I always, and I mean always, have something to journal with me, and have it with me everywhere I go. I write whatever comes to mind in that journal, even if it is just one word or a couple paragraphs so I can journal about more later. I make sure to write just enough that I will know later what I wanted to journal about and can then expand upon it then.
I also combine anything that I might handwrite, and/or journal in an email and/or text I send myself, into one file so I can see the progression of what led to what. Honestly, it's easier to search in one place later for something in my journal, rather than in several places.
At any rate, I am always ready to journal and try to have my spiral notebook journal open, with a pen or pencil there, and it's ready for me to capture something on the page. The act of having a journal open and ready is inspirational. There are times I swear the journaling is calling me and drawing me to it as I know it's open and is ready for me to capture something on the page. It also means that I can jot something down really quickly in the midst of life, and then get back to doing life, and can return to what I wrote later and journal it through on the page. This means I can let whatever came to mind go and I can focus on the task at hand.
I refuse to have several topical journals (For instance: Gratitude Journal, Travel Journal, Dream Journal, Letters to Send or Not Send to People Journal, Quote Journal, Book Notes Journal, Prayer Journal, Sacred Text Journal, Goals Journal, Grocery List Journal, 2do (To-Do) List Journal, Photography Journal, Scrapbook Journal, Bird Watching Journal, etc.). That is too much work and gets confusing trying to find material later. Rather, I put the hodgepodge of all my journaling into one journal (which gives me an idea as to what happened when and I can trace later what led to what and why). I put that in a document on my computer and that document is searchable if I need to find something later. I also add a Table of Contents and that can help me find something later as well, or can inspire me later in my new journaling.
There's something else I do with each journal. I go through the previous pages to see what circled or starred items I have that are things to buy, things to do, things to remember, and things to review. When I identify these circled or starred items, they tell me to copy each of them to the back of my journal. Once I identify something to buy, for example, I add it to the Shopping List on one page at the end of my journal, a 2do (To-Do) List on another page, a Things to Remember List (on another page), and Things to Review List (on yet another page). That way, as I go about my day, if I think of something to buy or do, I make a quick note in my journal and I circle it and/or star it so when I have the time later, I then later go through my journal pages from that day and add those items to the proper lists at the end of that journal.
And believe it or not, but shopping and 2do lists are interesting journal entries later on. Do not throw them away. Keep all of them. They provide another snapshot of your life at the time.
So grab your journal. It waits for you to capture your life on the page.
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An Introduction to Journaling
I thought it might be a wise idea to share in every daily collection some thoughts, tips, hints, teachings, prompts, etc. for those of you who are new to journaling, and for those who have journaled for a while and want some new inspiration.
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I Have a Request for You
Therefore, since this section is an introduction to journaling, make sure to add a comment at the end of any blog post, and ask any questions, make any requests you have, and give suggestions as well. This would sure be helpful and I can address these things soon, if not immediately. (Plus I want to hear all about you and your journaling! I am always wanting to learn more and you can teach and inspire me.)
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Do Whatever Works for You, Whenever It Works for You (And a Couple of Journaling Rules)
Journaling is freeing and empowering. Period.
If your journaling does not feel this way, then you might need to address what you think of journaling (your perceptions of it). And you might need to change what you think of journaling often.
The number one rule to ALWAYS remember with journaling is this: There are no rules.
The second rule is: Do whatever works. (Wait. I just said there are no rules. But, I am sure you know what I am saying.)
What works for me when I journal might work for a day, or even half a day, and I might get stuck, blank, or feel like I am getting not much out of my journaling (other than a workout for my hands as I write and my mind for trying to think as I journal). The second I am no longer getting as many words captured in my journal, I switch it up. I either move from paper to digital journaling, or I look for some inspiration to help me journal (that includes questions, prompts, and journaling thoughts).
Do not think you have to finish what you are working on. Start a new page, or a new line in your journal, and start to do a prompt or answer a question. Or if you thought of something else to journal, have at it and do that.
No one ever said you have to finish every journal entry.
Nor do you need to have perfect grammar or use a thesaurus for fancier writing. You can throw away everything you ever learned in grammar. And can start a sentence with and and end a sentence with the word of. If you feel like it. Complete sentences are also not necessary.
You can write in lists or use bullet points if you want.
Just journal.
Just do whatever works for you at the time.
Just journal and catch as much on the page as possible.
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What is a Journal?
A journal is a place to capture your life on the page.
A journal is a safe place to write, remember, plan, dream, explore, and enjoy your life.
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What Types of Journals Are There?: Paper and Digital (Which One is the One for You?)
Your journal can be a paper book of some kind (from a spiral notebook to a blank journal that's bound) or a digital one (a document or an online journal).
If you have not journaled before, and are not sure whether to keep a paper or a digital journal, here is one way to know the answer:
If you write a shopping list, a 2do (to-do) list, or keep a calendar/planner, do you write it on a piece of paper or do you put it in your cell (or on your computer)?
Your answer to that question is a good place to start.
Also, just remember, you can always change from one type to the other, and can even change it up on a regular basis (which is what I do, but I always make sure to save ALL of my journaling digitally and in one place, so I type up all handwritten journaling I've done). For me, going back and forth between the two mediums of paper and digital journaling keeps things fresh.
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How Should You Start Journaling?: Just Journal
In this blog, I will share multiple ways for you to start journaling. All of which are helpful and are good ways to begin. But in truth, there is really only one way to start journaling. Just start.
Just journal. (Yes. It really is that simple.)
But, if you do not know where to start journaling, and are blank, look through this blog until you find something that grabs your attention and it makes your hands itchy to write in your journal.
Again, there are no rules, except for the one and only I will share with you shortly. So, just journal. Write whatever comes to mind.
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