The Importance of having a Diary / Journal

[Katelyn]

I'm just realizing how much I've hurt myself for not having a diary / journal, because the years and years of diary entrees could have helped me a long time ago figure out myself and know much more about myself, allowing me to pull my thoughts and feelings easily from long ago, rather than my memory only being able to pull out only some things at a time, not everything.  It would have also allowed me to remember memories much better.

I have a problem with making habits (and remembering to do things), but this is one thing I should have stressed in doing! 

[Miniar]

Never too late to start.

[Rosa]

I've often started one for various life changes, but I'm terrible at keeping it up.

[Sharky]

I've tried to do this before. I don't get past two entries before I completely forget about it.

[Miniar]

Don't have to enter things into a journal every day for it to be worth keeping.
Just enter when you have things to enter.

[gennee]

I have a journal and maintain it. I have writings from a number of years ago. When I read them a couple of years ago and was dealing them as far back as 2000. Those writings are precious to me.

Gennee

[Kairi]

I keep one at http://www.my-diary.org ever since October 2008 when my father died. Doing a quick search on my entries review about 35% of my entries have some sort of mention of gender.

I did attempt to keep one way back in the past on a word document, but lost the motivation to continue it. I had kept the online one all these years. Keeping a diary is a good thing, not only does it allows you to archieve your life, you can improve your writing skills and look back in your life in the past. I advice anyone who hasn't yet started one to start one.

[Naari]

I have also attempted to keep a diary or 'log' of some sort at many different times in my life. I generally lose motivation shortly thereafter and only a few entries are ever actually written down. As someone pointed out though, even a haphazard and randomly entered diary can be a valuable tool for self-evaluation and introspection.

[Eva Marie]

I keep a journal and write to it when i feel like it. Sometimes that can be a couple of times a week, and sometimes weeks pass before i write my next journal entry. I put absolutely no pressure on myself to journal every week or anything like that.

I've got enough written now that i can go back and see my progression, which is interesting.

[Snoeball]

I was BIG into keeping a journal around last year.  I would write in it daily, but lately I've neglected to really use it at all...  For whatever reason it's become less important to me, but I do view that as a good thing!  I remember reading back at the earliest of entries and just laughing at myself for the things I was writing because they seem *so* irrelevant now.  I also had a breakdown one day and figured that 'male self' had written about ten pages worth in my journal and that resulted in me ripping pages out and burning them LOL.  It's all funny to me now though  =)  Strange how we change, and it can be fascinating to look back at the old writings/musings just to say, "Wow, I'm glad I got that all figured out now!"  It does feel good.

I think this post might make me want to start writing again, however.  It's been a long time since I've been able to look back and feel that way.

[LivingInGrey]

I have nearly 20 years of journals and the pile is growing even now.

I wouldn't call them daily though, I sure hope my life never gets interesting enough to require a daily log O.o

[regan]

My therapist suggested I try writing to help sort out my feelings.  It works if you're a good writer, or heck if you just like writing.  The best part of it was it pretty much gave me a set of notes to go by at my next appointment.  So I'm all for it now.  I'm trying to write daily, but it can be hard sometimes.  Something is better then nothing though.

I use wordpress for my online journal, but good old pen and paper is fine too.