Review of Your Journaling (with Journaling Review Template)

INTRO (AND WHEN?)

Every week, month, 3 months, 6 months, year, 2 years, 4 years, 5 years, 7 years, 10 years, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 years, etc., it is important to review your journaling. 

WHAT IS REVIEW?

It is re-reading your journaling from the past periods listed previously in the Intro section of this blog post. Then, you summarize that period of time. Finally, you analyze that period of time in your journal. 

WHY?

Review is important to review for several reasons:

1. Review helps you remember--where you are, have come from, and are going--so you do not forget. 

2. It helps you to analyze things of/in your life.

3. You can see what patterns/repetition there is in your life.

4. It's important to take a look at the lessons learned.

5. Review helps you know what to change.

6. It reminds you of how far you've come.

7. It helps you to count your blessings.

8. It gives you a fresh/new perspective and point-of-view.

9. It gives you more manageable segments of your journaling so in 30 years, you do not have to re-read everything on a yearly basis. 

HOW?

Do this Review Journaling Exercise for each of the segments listed above. 

If you have journaled before, do this:

Do whichever of the steps are applicable below, according to how many days, weeks, months, and/or years of journaling you have.

1. Go week by week through your journaling and fill out the Journaling Review Template (JRT). Start at the beginning of your journaling. Do the JRT for each week until you catch-up to today. (TIP: If you did not journal every day, do the weekly for every 5 or 7-days of journaling.)

2. Take four of your weekly reviews (the Weekly JRTs) and do a month review for them (even if it's a period of time longer than a month).

3. Take three of your monthly reviews (the Monthly JRTs) and do a 3-month review for them (even if it's a longer period of time than 3-months).

4. Take two of your 3-month reviews (the 3-months JRTs) and do a 6-month review for them (even if it's a longer period of time than 6-months).

5. Take two of your 6-month reviews (the 6-months JRTs) and do a year review for them (even if it's a longer period of time than a year). 

6. Take two of your 1-year reviews (the year JRTs) and do a 2-year review for them (even if it's a longer period of time than 2 years). 

7. Take two of your 2-year reviews (the 2-year JRTs) and do a 4-year review for them (even if it's a longer period of time than 4 years). 

8. Take two of your 2-year reviews  plus a 1-year review and do a 5-year review for them (even if it's a longer period of time than 5 years).  

9. Take two of your 5-year reviews (the 5-year JRTs) and do a 10-year review for them (even if it's a longer period of time than 5 years).  

10. Then, do the 10-year, 15-year, 20-year, and every 5 year denomination after that.

11. Do the next section after this one when you are caught up to today.

If you have not journaled before, or have done any fo the previous 11 steps, then do this:

The Journaling Review Template.

THE JOURNALING REVIEW TEMPLATE (EXERCISE) INSTRUCTIONS:

1. At the end of every week, do the Weekly JRT from your previous 7-days of journaling. 

2. If you have a total of 4 Weekly JRTs at this point, do the Monthly JRT. If not, skip to the JRT Section. 

3. If you have a total of 3 Monthly JRTs, do the 3-Month Review. If not, skip to the JRT Section. 

4. If you have a total of 2 3-Month JRTs, do the 6-Month Review. If not, skip to the JRT Section. 

5. If you have a total of 2 6-Month JRTs, do the Year Review. If not, skip to the JRT Section. 

6. If you have a total of 5 Year JRTs, do the 5-Year Review. After this, do in segments of every 5 years. If not, skip to the JRT Section.

JRT: JOURNALING REVIEW TEMPLATE

1. Write an one-sentence summary of this time period.

2. Write an one-paragraph summary of this time period.

3. List the top 7 memories, or top 7 memorable things, from this time period.

4. What went didn't go so well?

5. What went well and you want to repeat?

6. What lessons were learned?

7. What did you remember from the past?

8. What did you plan for the future?

9. Do a Stream of Consciousness (SOC) and write about whatever comes to mind about this time period. 

10. Write more about 3 of your 3 strongest memories or memorable things from this time period (as a continuation of #3). 

11. Write a 2-paragraph summary. 

12. Write anything else that comes to mind. 

~ Stacy Duplease

(Image Credit: Stacy Duplease. 17 Nov. 2012. Virginia Beach.)