Journaling

I always wished I was good at keeping a journal.  You remember all the Lisa Frank diaries we got as birthday presents when we were little girls?  Well when I look back through them, they look something like this:

8/30/95 -- I'm so glad I got you as a present!!  I'm going to write in you every day
8/31/95 -- Today, I ...
3/1/96 -- Sorry I haven't written in you for awhile...

And that's it.  Nothing's really changed as I've grown into adulthood - I'll randomly write journal entries every year or so but then forget about it or lose the spiral I was using.  Despite never really making an effort, I know there are huge benefits to journaling.  I mean, Oprah used to talk about it all the time.  I even attended a journaling workshop at Stanford during grad school.  Not quite sure how you become a journaling expert, but these people were really interesting and made me want to journal!  Why I think journaling would be good for me:

1. It would force me to appreciate all the small things that are so wonderful in my life.  My career is rather stressful and requires me to travel every week, Monday - Thursday.  Ever since I rejoined the firm after grad school and getting married, I've kind of been struggling.  Journaling every day after work would be an escape and forced reflection -- and every time I take the time to reflect, I remember how wonderful my husband, home life, family, and friends are and how my career is only a small part of who I am.
2. Sometimes when I write a negative thought down, it's like shifting the weight off my shoulders and onto the paper (or computer screen).  I feel like I can process it and then put it away in storage forever.
3. I love writing!  And I don't really get to do it much now, unless you count writing PowerPoint slides.
4. One of the best things about journals has got to be that you have a record of memories that otherwise could be forgotten.  I'd love to capture this time in my life for me to look back on when I'm an old granny.

So here's what I'm going to do:  Les Gourmandises will be my pseudo-journal!  As the Stanford journaling experts taught me, it doesn't have to be about outlining every step of your day in your diary.  A good journal entry can even just be a word or drawing that is meaningful to you in the moment.  (Random side note - for those of you who keep handwritten journals, they also suggested writing occasional entries using your non-dominant hand to stimulate your brain differently, which I thought was cool).  There's nothing like the Interwebs to keep me accountable!  Happy journaling...