I am looking to start getting into this. But I have never enjoyed writing. I also feel a little iffy knowing that my diaries are sitting around somewhere in my room and my family can find it at any moment. If I were to type it would be faster, more secure as I can encrypt it, and it would not get lost as easily as I can upload the encrypted file to a cloud.
However, is typing any less effective at making you feel better than writing?
People who keep journals or diaries, how the fuck do you remember AND motivate yourself?? I want to do this, I have tried to do this but I’ve never managed for more than like 2 consecutive days
EDIT: Thanks for all the suggestions guys! It’s really helpful
I’m very inconsistent with mine. Sometimes I write a lot frequently, sometimes I don’t for years. Sometimes i just log once a month.
The thing is why you want to write and what about. Usually when I write it’s about something that really shocked me or moved me, perhaps a very vivid dream (which I used to have frequently when I was younger) or maybe as a means to cope with depression and anxiety and some rough life patches.
Main motivation for me is to be able to access my thought process in the future. This has proven valuable, personally.
I got consistent when I got a 5 year journal. Each page is one day, divided into five sections. Seeing that I would be revisiting it next year really helped motivate me, and reading previous years entries helps even more. Now I have several journals, and for the other ones, I either write in it when I do my 5 year, or I keep it open and jot in it all the time. The trick often is to just write something in it, and then its easier to keep going.
Also think about why you are journaling. Self reflection? Set an alarm. Memories? Read back in your old entries. Planning? Make it front and center so you look at it right away.
I don’t have the privacy concerns, so this other bit might not help as much, but I also use stuff thats pleasant to use. It does’t have to be luxury, but try going up a step. For paper, skip moleskin and look for a rhodia, leuchterm, or midori notebook. For pens, try a fountain pen like a platinum preppy, pilot kakuno, ot lamy safari. If you prefer ballpoint, skip the cheap ones ans get a Uni Signo gel pen or Pentel Energel gel pen. Having nicer stuff can really help motivate cause its nice to use.
Handwrite feel nicer for journaling
I have been typing my journals for over a decade. If you don’t have a fondness for handwriting, then it will not make you feel any better. I find it frustrating to write by hand. It’s significantly slower than my thoughts, it adds more clutter, it’s less convenient, it cramps my hand, and you lose out on the ability to search your notes to help you remember events or check your progress. You don’t have to use a fancy journaling app if you don’t want to. I just use Google docs.
I do, and I handwrite, for dreams and personal stuff. But I type for work related stuff. I understand what you say about your family and fair enough, that’s not my case, but if I had to be watching my back like you I’d probably also not write at all. In my experience, I’ve had more close calls with sensitive information leaking if it’s kept digitally than on paper but YMMV.
I am in the minority here when I say neither. I do technically have what one might say amounts to a dream journal, the “catch” being this “dream journal” would be a favorites folder that exists on some art websites I use. When I dream, you may notice the art that most resembles the dream goes in it. I originally made the folder as a “remind me later” kind of thing but it turned into its own thing.
