Faith Journaling: Journal

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Sunday, February 5, 2012

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 9: Why Journal?: A List

Here it is Day 9 of this 365-Day Journal Your Story Project and I wanted to discuss reasons to journal. Why journal? Why take the time out of a perfectly good day to journal? What benefits are there?

I need to be frank about something. There are more positives, benefits, and reasons why we should journal than I could ever compress in one day's lesson. Books can be written about each reason, as a matter of fact. I want you to know that I am not exaggerating at all when I make these claims. Journaling, apart from exercise, is the most beneficial thing you can do for your health and well-being.

Now, since admitting books can be written about each of the reasons I will list below, I will keep today's discussion to a summary list. I will expand upon these reasons later.

Also, please note, some fo these may sound like they repeat, but there are differences in them. Trust me. I will expand upon them later, once again.

Another note: I do not think there is any reason more important than the other. Journaling is overall a good thing. That is the summary. So, the list below is not in matter of importance or in priority order.

WHY JOURNAL LIST?:

~ Why not journal?

I list that first, before we ever look beyond this, for a reason. Why not? What could it hurt? What could be gained? What can you lose if you do not? So, why not journal? That is a reason. It is not a question.

~ The reasons to journal are endless.

~ Journaling helps you live the most healthy life you can live: spiritually, emotionally, physically, socially, and mentally.

~ It helps you to remember your present and live intentionally--so you stop taking it for granted and prevents you from thoughtless living.

~ It is easy to do.

~ It is inexpensive.

~ It is priceless.

~ It is enjoyable.

~ It is versatile.

~ It decreases stress.

~ It decreases depression.

~ Journaling decreases anger.

~ It helps you feel better inside and out.

~ It helps you to remember.

~ It increases happiness.

~ It increases joy.

~ It increases peace.

~ It increases contentment.

~ It helps you to remain aware.

~ It is cheaper than a therapist. (Except if you are suicidal or homicidal--or are dealing with some major stuff. Then, do both!!!)

~ It is a creative outlet.

~ Journaling is fun, enjoyable, and pleasurable.

~ If you are a writer, journaling is a must.

~ It helps decrease anxiety.

~ It helps with PTSD.

~ It strengthens your immune system.

~ It helps with circulation.

~ It helps to lose weight.

~ It helps you plan.

~ It helps you to list your dreams and goals and make them come true.

~ It is a good traveling resource.

~ Journaling is something to do with art.

~ It is good for reflection.

~ It is good to self-analyze.

~ It is good to help capture memories past, present, and future.

~ Helps you deal with change.

~ Journaling helps you bring about change and transformation.

~ Helps you commit to action.

~ Helps you keep track of things.

~ Helps you keep track of prayer and answered prayer.

~ It is the best habit you can ever get into.

~ It helps decrease procrastination.

~ It helps you budget and manage your time.

~ Self-awareness (to get to know self)

~ Journaling helps you to count your blessings (aka gratitude or thanksgiving).

~ Helps you express yourself.

~ Helps you express what you are feeling.

~ Helps you to overcome.

~ Helps you deal with your past so your past does not deal with you.

~ Helps you plan for the future.

~ Helps you get rid of burdens.

~ It brings maturity.

~ It helps you to vent.

~ Journaling helps you to see the big picture, as well as the fine details--and everything in-between.

~ It is fast.

~ Helps with addictions.

~ It is easy.

~ It helps you remember life lessons (lessons learned).

~ Helps decrease pain (helps with pain management).

~ Decreases boredom.

~ It is convenient.

~ It is a way for you to keep your personal history.

~ It helps you to keep track of history and historical events.

~ Journaling helps you to remember your family history and stories.

~ It helps you to remember the stories of others around you.

~ It helps you see in a new way.

~ It helps you to remember your childhood.

~ It helps you to remember your engagement period.

~ It helps you to remember your wedding.

~ It helps you to remember your pregnancy.

~ It helps you to remember your children and their childhood--all the stories and memories thereof.

~ It helps with personal growth and development.

~ Journaling helps with professional growth and development.

~ It helps with spiritual growth and development.

~ It helps with emotional growth and development.

~ It helps with mental/cognitive growth and development.

~ It helps with social growth and development.

~ It offers you solitude.

~ It helps you to be still.

~ It helps you to decrease busyness.

~ It reminds you of what is mot important and what really matters in your life.

~ Journaling helps you to see the cycles in your life.

~ It brings increased clarity.

~ It helps you solve problems (with problem solving; making decisions).

~ It helps you to talk something out.

~ It helps you to see things as they really are. It strips all of the stuff that does not matter and the clutter--and gets to the heart of the issue.

~ It sharpens your writing skills.

~ It sharpens your creativity.

~ It helps you to keep track of things.

~ It helps you remember your to do list.

~ Etc. Etc. Etc.

Check out these reasons as well:

http://www.easyjournaling.com/2011/07/101-reasons-to-write-a-journal/

http://www.appleseeds.org/100_Journaling.htm

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com
Blog for USAGC 2026: http://usagc2026.blogspot.comBlog for Lethana: http://kingdomoflethana.blogspot.com
Blog for Journaling: http://journalingchronicle.blogspot.com
Blog for Writing: http://writingchronicle.blogspot.com
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

New Journaling App Part 2

I have to make another confession (or a couple). I dreamt of the journaling app last night. I sure did. I saw all of the cute icons/pics and dreamt of doing fancy things with the journal.

It is a full-fledged addition now. The moment I woke up, before I even got out of bed this morning, I wrote a journal entry.

I am so corny I found a pic of a sun and a picture of an umbrella and wrote: "Today is Sun-day and it is rainy." (Now, I know... How did I know it was rainy and I did not get out of bed yet. The Weather Channel sent me an email with current conditions and it said it was raining. (Gotta love technology!) In my defense, I wanted to give my husband the opportunity to sleep in and found that to do with my time. (How is that for justification?)

I just got all of my journaling pages downloaded onto my computer. I saved them via page numbers so they will be in order. They saved themselves as a png file, by the way... It made it very convenient so I set it up to open with Window Live Photo Gallery and I can scroll through my fancy new art journal.

So, I have the diary/journal saved to my Amazon Kindle Fire, to my email, to my desktop, and my external hard drive. Need I say... Permanent? I will then save them to an online photo program.Gotta love it!

I just wanted to give you an update and tell you how I am a total nut. Yep. Weird. Silly even. Now you know why my husband suffers from neck problems. He's always shaking his head at me. Sigh. (Lol!)

New Journaling App for Androids

Wrote on 04 February 2012, Saturday 8:00 p.m.

I am always on the hunt for new Journaling tools... and alas! I found my most favorite ever! I got it for my Amazon Kindle Fire and am quite thrilled about it.

The funny thing is I have seen it before... I must admit to something here and give some background here. I know not to do this. It is a pet peeve of mine. Yet, I fell prey to it. Sigh. Hanging head down. Blush. I fell for the judging a book by its cover mistake. Every now and then, I do a search for a Diary or a Journaling app. I have seen one, but thought it was kiddie...too childlike for me... However, I decided to try it this evening. (Why not?)

The app is: Icon Diary

You can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/GalleryApp-Icon-Diary-Free/dp/B006U5LGIO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=mobile-apps&qid=1328463984&sr=1-1

It is fun. It could be considered an app for kids... girls in particular... But, I am a girl (of the grown-up variety)... So, I absolutely love it!!! I think I will fall even more in love with journaling because of it. And I did not think that was possible.

It has cute icons and pictures I can add to each journal entry and make it look quite attractive. It brings out even more creativity out of me. I love it.

I cannot draw, so this app makes a fun art journaling page I cannot do normally. I now can do an art journal, which was something I never thought I could do since I cannot draw or paint... except with words.
I email each entry to myself so it is a permanent record. Then, I will save it as a pdf and I will create a folder for them.

I cannot recommend it enough.

Stacy Duplease -- Sent from my Kindle Fire

Friday, February 3, 2012

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 8, Calendar Journaling

Welcome to another day in this series about journaling your own life story. This is an introduction to journaling series, but can give even veteran journalkeepers ideas.

I am starting the second week of this series with a type of journaling I consider precious. It is actually probably the most meaningful journaling to me and in my life. Calender Journaling is the most basic, easiest to use, and is a daily requirement for my personal and professional journaling.

So, what is it? How do you do it? And how can it benefit everyone?

WHAT IS IT?

First of all, you can call this Planner Journaling, Schedule Journaling, or Calendar Journaling--whichever your personal favorite is... go with that term. For me, Calendar Journaling is my favorite terminology. So, I will call it this throughout today's discussion.

The Simplest Definition: It is what you think it is. It is journaling on your calendar or planner.

It is more than your To Do List, however. I make sure to write people, places, what happened, my emotions, and memories associated with each--in the time slot. Hence, this is best done digitally or with a paper calender that is a daily planner, not a monthly or weekly because you will not have nearly enough room.

Now, let me give you an example of what I mean:

03 February 2012, Friday, 11:30 a.m. Lunch with a girlfriend at Mongolian Barbeque. I am excited because it gets me out of the house, socializing with someone more than my beagle, cat, two turtles, and husband. Also, she has a seven month old daughter, so that adds to the delight. It reminds me of my family and close friends in Omaha and how I used to do this with them. So, it is a bittersweet thing. I can't wait to see what happens. Looking forward to the food, company, and discussion. I want to share with her what hubby and I are doing for Valentine's Day. It might give her an idea, wink, wink.

I will add to the description and journaling after we have lunch.

I will admit this is a much lengthier description than I normally give. It is usually about 3 sentences or so.

Now, if I do not have time to journal anything more than that today, I can come back to it later and add more to it. But, it is something at least. It is not forgotten and is recorded permanently. Now, do you see why I find this journaling such a gem?

Then, at the end of every day, I add an entry about my overall daily experience, feelings, thoughts, achievements, memories, etc.

WHY IS THIS A GOOD JOURNALING TOOL OR TYPE OF JOURNALING?

I have my calendar linked to my email, to my pc, to my cell, to my Amazon Kindle Fire. It is on everything and I can use it at any time.

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

Do this every half hour all day long ideally. It is so easy that doing it in 30 minute slots is easier than you think. Do it every hour if you cannot do every hour. Do every 2 hours if you cannot do it every hour.

Have your TO DO item on your calender listed first in the time slot. Then, add whatever your heart desires. Just make sure to include thoughts, emotions, description/summary, and conclusions.

At the end of the day, write a high and a low. What was a high point of that day? What was a low point? Then, your voerall impression of the day and what was most memorable about the day. I write all of this in the time slots in which I sleep so I have enough space to write this material.

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF CALENDAR JOURNALING?

It is the most simple form of journaling you can do.

When you run out of time, this at least gets memories listed. You can expand upon them later. At the end of the week, I recommend doing extensive journaling on at least three items on your calendar from the previous week.

HINT

If you want to print out your planner, you will need to mess around with the properties to figure out how to get every time slot to be pritned to its entirety. It may try to cut off some of what you say if you do not figure out and adjust the settings.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 7, Where to Begin, and Self-Evaluation

JOURNAL ENTRY

Now that you have your journal bought and set-up, it is time to begin. I hope the prospect is exciting to you and not intimidating.

What we are going to do today is not something you should do every day in your journal. It is an every now and then activity. (I recommend once every three months or so.) If you do it too much, it can be too much and cumbersome. Plus, you will become repetitive. What we will do today is self-evaluation.

So, grab your journal and let's get started. Answer at least the 1st ??? questions. If you want, do the rest. The more you do, nonetheless, the more you will get out of this exercise.

SELF-EVALUATION

With each of these questions, answer in one word, one sentence, and then at least one paragraph. Also, explain your answer.

* Who am I?

* What makes me tick?

* Am I happy?

* What do I believe?

* If I could change anything about my life, I would change...

* I love this (fill in the blank as to what 'this' is) most about my life...

* I like this (fill in the blank as to what 'this' is) least about my life...

* I am hopeful because...

* What is my emotional state right now?

* What is my mental state right now (my thought-life)?

* What is my spiritual state right now?

* How is my social life right now (with friends and family)?

* My biggest dreams are...

* I wish...

* My schedule is...

* When I think about my past, I think of...

* I need healing in this area of my life...

* I need to remember...

* This (fill in the blank) inspires me...

Where and who are you today?

Where are you today in your life?

Who are you today?

Are you where you want to be? If so, wonderful. How did you get there? If not, what would it look like if you were? Then, how can you make the journey to get there?

Are you who you want to be? If so, wonderful. How did you get there? If not, what would it look like if you were? Then, how can you make the journey to get there?

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLC
dba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Not knowing yourself

What a senseless tragedy it is when a person does not know who they are and does not know thyself.

It is senseless because it is so easy to discover who you are, what makes you tick, why you do what you do, what you stand on and believe, and what has shaped you to be the person you are today.

Do you want to know how you can know yourself?

Journal.

Do you want to know how to never lose yourself?

Never stop journaling.

It really is that simple.

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com

RYP Journaling Starters and Questions (Prompts) List #1

This is an ongoing list I will add to continually at the bottom of the list.

Make sure to go through and answer all of these at least once. Ideally, you will go through this entire list once a year.

Also, when you feel stuck or want to add some spice to your journaling, answer some of these questions. When you answer these questions, make sure to answer why you answer your question in the way you do.

Another suggestion: With each of the RYP Journaling Starters and Questions listed below, make sure to ask them in the past, present, and future tense. Each tense will glean new responses. Also, when you answer each starter about your past, you might want to answer the question regarding each decade of your life.

* Who am I?
* What do I think of my life?
* What is my favorite color?
* What do I believe?
* Who are my family members and friends?
* What is my favorite food?
* Where do I live?
* What is my favorite drink?
* When will I be the happiest?
* What are my favorite books?
* What are my favorite Tv shows?
* Where are my favorite places?
* How would I define my life?
* What do I like to do?
* What are your goals?
* What are my top 10 most powerful memories?
* Who are you married to? Describe them.
* List you favorite memories with your spouse.
* List your favorite memories with each person in your life.
* What do you regret?
* If you were living the best life possible, what would that look like?
* What matters to you?
* What do you like to do?
* What memories bring you pain?
* What does a typical Monday look like in my life?
* Tuesday?
* Wednesday?
* Thursday?
* Friday?
* Saturday?
* Sunday?
* Where do I work?
* What dreams of mine have come true?
* What do I do?
* When did I marry?
* What was my wedding like?
* What are my dreams?
* What are my favorite songs?
* What are my goals?
* Do you like who you are?
* What have I accomplished?
* How would I describe myself?

Monday, January 23, 2012

365-Day Remembering Journal Project: Day 2: What I Hold in My Heart Exercise

Draw, or imagine drawing, a gigantic heart on a page of paper.

Ask yourself: What do I hold in my heart? What do I value most?

List your responses in the heart.

When you get stuck, and cannot add anything more in the heart, ask the following questions:

Who is in my heart?
What do I value?
What places do I value?
Where do I go that I value?
Things
Places
People
Possessions
Hobbies
Sports
Books
TV shows
Movies
Books
Memories
Songs
Quotations
Goals
Dreams
Ask all in present tense. Then in past tense

365-Day Remembering Journal Project of Stacy Duplease

Welcome to my personal journaling project. Whenever you see this blue color, you know that it is the ramblings of a crazy fool... me.

Why am I writing this and why share something so personal with the world? You may wonder. I am writing this because I want to go deeper. I want to remember where I have come, where I am, and where I am headed. I am tired of living life on cruise-control--where mediocrity is acceptable and where the slogan is, "Good enough." Just getting by is not good enough.

I grow weary of not giving everything my best (within reason).

I grow weary of that feeling inside that I am missing something or I need something more. It is that void feeling in my heart.

Busyness is a disease destroying lives like a flesh eating disease. We fill our calendars so full we cannot breathe and so full that we miss the most important things of life. More often than not, we are busy because we are running away, trying to escape, or are avoiding dealing with something.

I want to remember this day in a year. I want to live this day so well that it is worth remembering.

I want to remember that I am absolutely loving my life in the present. I do not want to forget it and I want to capture it so I can replicate it again in the future if life is not what it should be.

These are just a few of the reasons why I am starting this journaling project.

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 6 and Page 1 of Your Journal (Part 2 of 2)

PAGE 1

Yesterday, we started to take a look at what to put on page 1 of our journals. It is critical to start off right. It sets off the tone of the entire journal. Moreover, when you get stuck and do not know what to do next in your journal, for whatever reason, you can turn to page 1 for some inspiration. Your page 1 will keep you on task.

GOAL OF YOUR JOURNAL

~*~ Turn to the next blank portion in your journal. Then, ask yourself this question: What do I hope to accomplish with my journal?

~*~ Write all of the answers you come up with and make sure to put the reason why you wrote what you did.

~*~ Then, number them in order of importance. Then, decide how many of those goals you want to focus on specifically in this journal. Whichever you decide, make sure to put them on the next blank lines on page 1 of your journal.

~*~ Make sure to circle or star all of the other reasons you did not put on page 1. You will refer to them again when you start your next journal.

QUARTERLY GOAL

~*~ Turn to the next blank portion in your journal. Then, ask yourself this question: What do I want to accomplish in my life over the next three months?

~*~ Write all of the answers you come up with and make sure to put the reason why you wrote what you did.

~*~ Make sure to circle or star all of the other goals you did not put on page 1. You will refer to them again when you start your next journal.

YEARLY GOAL

~*~ Turn to the next blank portion in your journal. Then, ask yourself this question: What do I want to accomplish in my life over the next twelve months?

~*~ Write all of the answers you come up with and make sure to put the reason why you wrote what you did.

~*~ Make sure to circle or star all of the other goals you did not put on page 1. You will refer to them again when you start your next journal.

LIFE MISSION STATEMENT OR GOAL

~*~ Turn to the next blank portion in your journal. Then, ask yourself this question: What do I want my life to represent? Or, what do I want to do with my life?

~*~ Write all of the answers you come up with and make sure to put the reason why you wrote what you did.

~*~ Then, number them in order of importance. Whichever you decide, make sure to put it on the next blank lines on page 1 of your journal.

~*~ Make sure to circle or star all of the other goals you did not put on page 1. You will refer to them again when you start your next journal. These extras might become a new quarterly or yearly goal.

Tada! That is it for page 1. Tomorrow, we will start the journaling journey. I am so excited. I cannot wait!

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com

Journaling Hints

When you start to journal, do not think you have to sit down and write an entire page. Going from doing nothing to an entire page is a big jump. You most likely will not make journaling a daily habit then. It is just too much.

Instead, start off with one sentence each day. After you do that five days straight, add another sentence. Keep doing that. Before you know it, you will journal five pages a day without even thinking about it.

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLC

Sunday, January 22, 2012

365-Day Remembering Journal Project: Day 1: An Introduction

WELCOME!

Welcome to the 365-Day Remembering Journal Project.

This particular blog series is geared for those who have journaled before and those looking for journaling hints, starters, ideas, suggestions, etc.

Also this journal project is geared more for the serious, diving deeper, self-reflective, memoir style, self-discovery type of journaling. It is not meant to be a creative journal. (But, if you turn it into one, go for it and enjoy!)

If you are looking for a how-to journal book or resource, you might want to focus on the 365-Day Journal Your Story Project.

WHY DO THIS PROJECT? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?

The 365-Day Remembering Journal Project is to help you journal about your past, present, and future. It is meant to help you not only record your memories, but to evaluate your life. This journal project is meant to help you live intentionally, with constant awareness so you learn the most from your past, live the best today you are able, and plan for the best future. It is meant to help you discover who you are, who you were, and who you hope to be. This 365-Day Remembering Journal Project is meant to help you know what holds you back and what needs healing. It is meant to help you set goals so your future can be all that it can be. This journal will help you heal, give you vision, and help you remember in years to come what has happened and who you are as a person.

We change and transform through the years. But, what has led to the change? Has the change been for the better? When you journal you record where you are so you can look back later and evaluate the journey. That is another reason to do this journal project.

MEMORY AND REMEMBERING

I have had three people in my family who have been touched because of memory problems. One had Alzheimer's. Another had dementia. And another had a head injury. I journal so I can remember my memories and the memories of those around me. One day, these memories might be forgotten. But, if they are written, they are not lost.

I also realize as I age, I will not remember as many things. I journal to help me remember.

STORIES ARE WORTH REMEMBERING

My life is a story. Your life is a story. Our stories are intertwined. All stories are. This is why stories are so sacred. They are worth remembering. That is another reason to journal.

REMEMBER YOUR PRESENT

Too often, through the busyness of life, we tend to lose focus. Busyness has us, well...so busy that we cannot think with clarity. We tend to forget things. We lose perspective. We forget what matters most of us because we are so busy doing. We take the present for granted. We forget how time is fleeting. If you do not live well today, and with everything you've got, then the moment is wasted.

That is why journaling is so critical. It helps us to remember the present and not take it for granted. It helps us to live intentionally.

~*~ TO DO

Any time you see this symbol: ~*~ it means it is something you need to do regarding your journal.

~*~DAY 1 EXERCISES

Take out your journal answer the following questions:

1 What does journaling mean to you?

2 What do you hope to get out of the next 365 days and why?

3 What do you want to remember? Why?

4 List 10 memories from your past.

5 What three memories did you make today?

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 5: Page 1 of Your Journal (Part 1)

IMAGINE A BLANK BOOK

I hope you bear with me if you are a digital journalkeeper. I will talk about opening your journal and turning to the first page. Use your imagination here. I love the imagery of opening a paper journal or a blank book and flipping through the empty pages and having the realization my life will be put onto those pages. Wow. There is something magical and sacred there. It is quite special. After all, a journal is my life reflected on the pages of what was once a blank book.

You just can't see that with a digital book. But, you can sure imagine it. Hence, I will make allusions of having a paper journal as we go along over the next 361 days.

YOU HAVE YOUR JOURNAL

At this point in time, you have bought your journal, pens, paper, paint, and anything else you need in order to journal.

You also have a plan of if you want to write, type, email, or paint (just a few examples).

Regardless of the type of journaling, they all begin with the first page. It is a blank page.

So, now what?

PAGE 1 OF YOUR JOURNAL

Do not let the blank pages intimidate you. I realize this is easier said than done, but hang in there. I will help you to start each journal off to the best start you are able.

Every time you start a new journal, do everything listed here today and in Day 6. Why? The way you start off your journal...and the first blank page...is what sets the mood and tone of the rest of the journal. Consequently, it is important to begin your journal well.

So, what are the components of a good page 1? I will list them below and then will go through each of them one by one and explain them to you.

ELEMENTS OF PAGE 1 OF YOUR JOURNAL

1 Name of journal (title)

2 Your Name (if it is not in the title)

3 Start Date

4 End Date and a blank line

5 Address and Phone

6 Inspirational Quote

7 Goal of journal

8 Quarterly Goal

9 Yearly Goal

10 Life Goal/Mission Statement

GO TO PAGE 3 TO FILL OUT PAGE 1 OF JOURNAL YOUR STORY

As you can see, this might be a couple of pages in actuality. Consequently, if you are doing a paper journal, leave the first couple of pages blank. We are going to start on page three of this journal in order to fill out page 1 of this journal. We need to do some exercises before you will be ready to fill out page 1 and 2.

~*~ Go to page 3 your your journal.

~*~ TO DO

Every time you see this symbol, ~*~, it marks something for you to do.

DATE, DAY, AND TIME

~*~ Other than on pages 1 and 2, every time you start a new journal entry, or at the top of every page, make sure to write at the very least the date, the day, and the time. I also put where I am writing. But, that is optional. You might find it cumbersome at first, but in time, you will appreciate it. Trust me.

PAGE 3: EXERCISE 1: NAME YOUR JOURNAL

It is time for you to come up with a name for your journal.

~*~ Jot down some ideas of names/titles for your journal.

Here are some examples. I will put my name in them as an example:

1 The Journal of Stacy Duplease

2 The Chronicles of Stacy Duplease

3 The Story of Stacy Duplease

4 The Life and Times of Stacy Duplease

5 My Story

6 My Life

7 Use the date. For instance: January 2012.

8 If you are Christian, here is an idea: His-Story, My Story

9 Use a word you want to focus on: Love. Peace. Joy. Patience. Serenity. Etc.

TO DO ON PAGE 1

~*~ Pick a name. You can change it in your next journal if you want.

~*~ Write the name at the top of page 1 of your journal.

~*~ Write your name if it is not in the title on the second line of page 1.

~*~ Write today as the Start Date on the next line of page 1.

~*~ Write: END DATE on the next line of page 1 and leave a blank for the end date.

~*~ Write your address and phone on the next line of page 1. You might want to put your email address as well.

NEXT PAGE: WHY JOURNAL?

~*~ At the end of the ideas of titles you wrote for page one, and at the next blank space, write all the reasons why you are journaling. We will look at more reasons on Day 7 of this book.

NEXT PAGE: INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

~*~ At the end of the reasons why you journal you wrote for page one, and at the next blank space, write several inspirational quotes. Look them up if necessary.

~*~ Pick the inspirational quote which speaks most to you in this moment. Star it or underline it.

~*~ Write the inspirational quote on Page 1 on the next blank line.

That is enough for today. We will finish with Page 1 tomorrow.

Stacy Duplease

Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com
Blog for USAGC 2026: http://usagc2026.blogspot.comBlog for Lethana: http://kingdomoflethana.blogspot.com
Blog for Journaling: http://journalingchronicle.blogspot.com
Blog for Writing: http://writingchronicle.blogspot.com
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 4: The Choice

Today is the day for you to make the choice.

1 How do you want to journal? Paper or digital? Make a list of pros and cons of each from your perspective.

2 Make the choice.

3 Buy whatever you need.

4 Prepare whatever you need.

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 3: Paper or Digital (Part 2)

Today is the third day of an introduction to journaling. We are going to look a little more at paper journaling and digital journals.

PAPER JOURNALING: A VARIETY

Let me make another note regarding paper journaling. We discussed them during Day 2 and this is an extension of that information. It is regarding one of the benefits about paper journaling is you have a great deal of variety. This is priceless, let's admit it. But, with that variety comes a cost. You have to also digitize it if you want it to be permanent. That is another step in the process. This is something to keep in mind.

ADVANTAGES OF PAPER JOURNALING

Let me recap about the advantages of paper journaling:

1 It offers the most variety.

2 You do not have to have electricity to do paper journaling.

3 Tends to be a little more creative.

4 It's more attractive to the eye.

5 If you like drawing, scrapbooking, or crafts, this is the best of both worlds.

DISADVANTAGES OF PAPER JOURNALING

1 The paper journal itself can cost a lot of money. If you want to keep a constant supply, that costs money to keep the supply. The cheapest blank journal you can get is at Barnes and Noble and it costs $3 + tax a pop. If you write every day, it will last you about three weeks.

2 Pens, paint, scrapbook paper, color pencils, etc. cost. If you only write with a pen and write every day, the average pen will last two weeks or so.

3 You have to go to the store often for supplies.

4 It is not permanent. They can be lost or destroyed.

5 Ink and paint fade over time. Paper also starts to turn to dust and yellows.

6 It takes up storage space.

7 If you have poor penmanship, you might not be able to read it and others might not be able to read it.

8 Difficult to write in a car or on an airplane.

9 It can break your back lugging it around everywhere.

10 It can take longer to do a daily entry because you have to write by hand.

11 You can run out of supplies--and at the most inconvenient time.

12 Anyone can peak at it at any time. Not very private.

PAPER JOURNALS CAN BE LOST:

THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO

The reason why I stress the permanent aspect of digital journals is because I lost some of the recently. In the space of one month, I lost some and almost lost all of them, believe them or not. First in the course of moving across country six months ago, the movers lost a box of my paper journals. (They were not saved digitally.) Ten years span of journals lost in one shot. Bam. I cannot even begin to tell you the heartache that brought and still brings in my life.

I try not to imagine strangers reading through them... Do I need to mention the feeling of possible violation?

Then, to add to the drama of losing those journals... Less than a month later, Hurricane Irene came through and we were forced to evacuate. We only have so much room in our car. I had to leave every single one of my paper journals behind. Thank God, the house was protected and wasn't flooded. But, can you imagine?

So, when you think that you never have to worry about your journals... Think again. I do not care how much you despise comptuers. Find a way to fall in love with them. Force yourself to do so if you must. Otherwise... You could lose 10 years--or even 27 years worth of journaling.

Chew on that for a while. The worst case scenario really does happen. And, it can happen to you twice in a month.

MORE ABOUT PAPER JOURNALING IN THE FUTURE

There will be paper journaling days in the future. This is hardly the last discussion. There are many types of paper journals that we can do. I find it necessary to do some paper journaling every week. Paper journaling in an invaluable resource. It can inspire us and force us to look at things from a new perspective. It frees the imagination and let's face it. They are quite attractive to the eye. But, I make sure to save them in a permanent way as well.

DIGITAL JOURNALS

The different types are:

1 Document on your computer. Start with a blank document. You can use different types of backgrounds, colors of ink, fonts, etc. Just make sure to email yourself a copy of the journal periodically so that you have a permanent file of it. If your computer is lost or broken, and you do not do this, you might not be able to retrieve it from your hard drive. I save a copy of each journal to my computer, to an external hard drive, to my email, and to Google Docs. The email and Google Docs are permanent versions.

2 Email yourself a journal entry each day. After you get a month's worth, save them to a blank document.

3 Keep an internet journal. There are several different types and websites you can choose. You can keep it private or can allow the entire world to read them (a blog). The choice is up to you.

4 On your cell phone, you can use a notes app and journal. Just make sure to email a copy of it to yourself and eventually turn it into a document.

5 Use a scanner of your paper journal, art journals, scrapbooks, photo albums, etc. Then, turn them into a document. I scan everything from movie tickets, to brochures of places we visit, receipts, etc. and turn these into a journal as well.

ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL JOURNALS

1 They are very convenience. I can journal with my PC, laptop, Amazon Kindle Fire, and cell phone--and I do. Also, I can use anyone else's to access my journals and journal as well. Hence, it is ultra-convenient. Hence, I can journal any time, anywhere (provided they have electricity and 3G when needed.)

2 It saves a broken back. It beats carrying around a bag of stuff that is heavy, can get lost, stolen, or damaged.

3 They are permanent--provided you save it over the internet (i.e. email or cloud drive).

4 They are quick. Typing is quicker than writing by hand.

5 Easy to change ink color, page color, add photos and clip art. It's easy to change fonts as well.

6 Password protected. Hence, secure and private.

7 They take up NO storage space at your house.

DISADVANTAGES OF A DIGITAL JOURNAL

1 The original set-up costs are quite expensive. A computer, laptop, cell phone, tablet all cost a lot of money upfront. But, they have multi-purposes. This is convenient.

2 Can be less creative than paper kinds of journaling.

3 Electricity can go out.

4 Internet can go down.

5 Might not 3G.

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com
Blog for USAGC 2026: http://usagc2026.blogspot.com
Blog for Lethana: http://kingdomoflethana.blogspot.com
Blog for Journaling: http://journalingchronicle.blogspot.com
Blog for Writing: http://writingchronicle.blogspot.com
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

Saturday, January 21, 2012

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 2: Paper or Digital (Part 1)

CHOICES: PAPER OR DIGITAL?

The most important decision you can make regarding journaling is what type of journal you want to keep. There are two main categories: Paper or Digital.

PICK ONE

I recommend picking one as soon as possible and experiment with it. See if it works for you. If it does not, try the other. You could even try each and see what you like the most. The beauty about journaling is: THERE ARE NO RULES. So, you can change and adjust your journal, and how you journal, as you go.

JOURNALING HINT

Experiment. See what works for you and what does not work. Make note of it in your journal. Then, make adjustments as often as necessary.

WHAT DO I RECOMMEND?

I debate if I should say this now or later. I decided to say this now so you can start thinking in these terms. I want to persuade you in any way I can to make your journal permanent and not give yourself the opportunity to have your journals lost because of some freak accident. (I have. That is why I say this.) It can cause you great pain that could have the potential to stay with you for the rest of your life. Literally. I am not making a bigger deal out of this than what is necessary. This is firsthand knowledge.

I recommend in the end to have it digitally. I will spend the next several days talking about this and why. But, digital is permanent. You cannot lose them. They cannot be stolen.

That being said, you might want to start with a paper journal and then type it up as you go. If you feel stifled by doing a digital journal, then by all means do the paper version. But, whatever you do, get it saved digitally. I will tell you why in the days to come. I do some of this.

Writing it on paper, with my own hand, can have more meaning to me. It gets me to look at things differently with pen in hand. I find it a far more sacred act to write my journals by hand. I am not sure why, but I do. However, I make sure to type them up in my computer (not a typewriter) every day or at least every week if I do journaling by hand. (Why every day or week? That way I do not procrastinate and say I will get to it later. I have learned that this mentality can cause you not to type them up and you can lose your journals through a freak accident, act of nature, or them being lost or stolen.)

If you are an artist and want to draw or paint or scrapbook for your journal, paper is essential. However, make sure to scan them and get them saved digitally as soon as possible. Again... It is permanent that way.

If you have never journaled before, I recommend doing it digitally from the very beginning. Do not make the paper kind a habit. It is far too risky not to do so.

PAPER

Paper journals are what you think. It is paper and pen. It could also be paintbrush, photos, and pen. It can also be a form of scrapbook. It can be typed with a typewriter (which is not permanent either).

Paper journals can be the fancy blank books you see at the bookstore (and other places).

Other possibilities are:

~ Legal pads

~ Steno Pads

~ Spiral Notebooks

~ Loose-leaf paper

~ Scrapbooks

~ Photo Albums

Remember with most of these, ink fades. Water, animals, and people can damage, steal, or destroy. Weather can destroy them as well.

DIGITAL

A digital journal is something you keep with a computer, cell phone, and/or other internet connected device.

It is a permanent way to journal. Your computer, cell phone, tablet, and any other device can be destroyed and this journal will last. This is a forever journal. It cannot be lost or damaged.

Journaling Resource List

Every now and then, I will put a list here of other journal resources you might want to check out.

I will add to this list as I go. Please note that if you are a journal keeper, or write about journaling, and want to be added to this list, add a comment at the end of any blog post or email me. I would be honored to add you to this list.

A Journaling Resource List:

Create Write Now (aka Journal Writing Therapy)

http://www.createwritenow.com/

Journal for You:

http://journalforyou.com/

Writing Through Life:

http://www.writingthroughlife.com/

*** Also, if you are listed here and have any corrections, let me know! ***

365-Day Journal Your Story Project: Day 1--An Introduction

GREETINGS AND WELCOME

Welcome to the 365-Day Journal Your Story Project. This will be a journey of self-discovery and of remembrance combined into one. But most importantly, this is an introduction to journaling.

WHAT IS JOURNALING?

Let me give you synonyms and then give you a few different definitions. The other names for journaling might help you to start to form your own definition. There are all sorts of names that are synonyms for journaling. For instance:

Journaling

Diary

Journalkeeping

Journal Keeping

Reflective Writing

Writing for the Soul

Writing for Your Life

Writing Your Life

Memoir

Autobiography

Record

Scrapbook

Therapist

Friend

Confidant

Sacred

Journey

Chronicle

But, what is the most simplest definition of journaling? It is:

Journaling is putting your life on the page.

Definition #2:

Journaling is the process of remembering your life up to this point, living fully in the present, and planning for the future.

This is where things get fun. There are thousands of different definitions we can give of journaling. Literally. However, the definitions I will include today are what I find the most important.

Definition #3:

Do you see? We are getting diving deeper as we go with these definitions. None is more true than the others. They just dive deeper to the heart of the matter.

Definition #4:

Journaling is putting your life on the page. It is the process of remembering your life up to this point, living fully in the present, and planning for the future. It is the process of self-discovery, memory keeping, planning, learning, and diving deeper so that you live a life of intentionality and purpose. In other words, journaling is living life to its fullest and not taking it for granted. Journaling forces us to be aware of each moment we are alive. It makes us pay attention to all of the details and forces is to analyze where we are, how we got there, where we are headed, and why.

Definition #5:

Take some time to ponder these definitions and see what you think.

I welcome comments and questions. Feel free to email me at the addresses below or at hisfiction@gmail.com or you can add a comment at the end of any blog post. If you want me to share your comment or keep it private, let me know.

Do you want to try this thing called journaling? Or, do you want to try it again? Or, do you want to try to journal from a new and different angle? Just give it a try.

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com

My Story

I have kept a journal now for well over 27 years. I have kept a journal during that time, and written in it, at least once a month. More often than not, once a week. However, the past 10 years or so, it's been at least 5 days a week. Therefore, you might say I am experienced regarding journaling.

Journaling is more than something to do in my life. It is more than a habit. It is a way of life.

I am not saying any of this to brag. Goodness, no. I am not that type. Rather, I am saying that I know what it means to sustain journalkeeping over the long-haul. If it is anything related to journaling, I most likely have tried it. I have made my fair share of mistakes regarding journaling and I have had many successes. (Over 27 years, what else could be said? Lol.)

I know the benefits of journaling.

I know the frustrations and pitfalls.

I know how hard it can be.

I also know how rewarding and life-changing journaling can be.

I look forward to traveling and sharing the journal journey with you.

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com