The Top 10 Uses For A Journal

Why write in a journal?

Writing in a journal allows you to quickly get your thoughts down on paper and then quickly move on. The process of applying pen to paper when brainstorming is invaluable. It allows for a speedier transferring of your ideas and enables you to proceed with your creative flow unhindered.

Journals also improve mental clarity and help improve your focus. I find this very helpful when beginning the writing process. I’m sure those of you who have been writing fiction for a while can just sit and write, but I find that writing in a journal allows me to perform a “brain dump” of where I want the story to go. It also allows me to outline when I want the overall story to be clearer before I begin to write.

The benefits for a journal

The uses of journal writing reach further than the writing process. You can use it as an ongoing to-do list, goal setting and tracking, tool for mindfulness, and a place for a quick mind map.

I use my journals for these benefits as well as many more.

Here are my top 10 uses for a journal

1. Idea creation
2. Story outlining
3. Mind mapping
4. Writing practice
5. Ongoing to-do list
6. Diary/Journal of your creative process
7. Planning and goal setting
8. Improve your focus
9. Increasing your creativity
10. Allow you to be more present

Journal writing has been a tool for many notable creatives such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, and Ernest Hemingway, to name a few.

I believe that journal writing is an underappreciated and underutilized tool that can benefit any creative. Read our article Is Journal Writing Effective?

Now it’s your turn!

Grab your journal and start writing. Write a story about your day, make a to-do list, draw a mind map, find a writing prompt that sparks you, and write. Journal writing should be a freeing experience, and once you start, you’ll be happy you did.

Don't forget to see our journals at The Amazing Office