So…How do I start a journal? Let us guide you through
some tips and tricks!
1.
Set a time for writing
How often should you write: once a day, or once a
week? It doesn’t matter! As long as you can set a schedule and stick to it,
there is no wrong number for organising your thoughts and writing them down.
However, schedules help only when respected, so try not to skip your own
reminders and you will be fine.
2.
Your journal, your privacy
They say there is no place like home. We at Diaro
think that there is also no place like your own journal, and you should be the
only one holding the metaphorical keys to it. Safety and security are our
primary concerns for the digital bits where you record your thoughts and your
dreams. Nevertheless, a sharing function enables you to selectively share with
friends and family some selected posts, if so you wish.
3.
Reflect on your day
Before you put into words your very feelings and
memories, it might help to get some time to yourself and quickly go over what
you want to depict. Make sure to be able to focus and meditate a while wherever
you are, so as to better organise your own thoughts.
4.Make
it fun!
Now you are ready to write but you are wondering what
kind of “style” your diary should be written in. There are many ways of writing
a journal, and while some prefer to be very specific about the day’s events,
others prefer to dwell on feelings and ideas that said events unleashed within
them. There is no place like your own diary to get creative and use the perfect
style, effortlessly: yours!
5.Date
your thoughts
You should not overlook the simple detail of dating
every entry on your journal: it will help very much when you read it back a
long time later. We all keep a journal in order to read back our thoughts at
some stage, so it is very important to write down the day, month and year when
you wrote it. Obviously, this problem doesn’t exist if we use a digital diary
like Diaro, since dating is done automatically. If you still want to go old
school, though, do not forget to do it yourself!
6.Give
your thoughts a title
As if it was a chapter in a book, every entry deserves
a title. It shouldn’t be a complicated one: actually, it could be just a
keyword or a codeword that you alone can understand, but that will enable you
to know at a glance what the entry is about. Feel free to write the title at
the end of your ramblings, as well: if it doesn’t come natural at the very
beginning, it surely will once you are done writing!
7.Write
what you want, with no rules
Once you begin writing, forget all the rules about
writing you have ever known. There is no need for structures, all you need to
do is to follow your train of thought and write accordingly.
8.Do
not think too much
Be quick and don’t dwell too much on details, or
punctuation. What you write is supposed to make sense to YOU, and you only. But
you can only make sense of what you have actually written, so get down to it
and do it. As a bonus, remember that you can always edit your own writing at a
later stage, when you read it back!
9.Be
true to your own diary
Considering that what you write is private by default,
it is an obvious advice to be honest. No censorship should be required or
allowed on your own feelings, opinions and ideas, if your diary is to be a true
reflection of yourself.
10.
Make it fun
The act of writing down your emotions and thoughts
about your days/life should be something you want to do, if you are doing it.
Therefore, why not having fun while doing something for your own enjoyment? You
know yourself better than anyone: find the best way to make writing your
journal a pleasurable experience, and writing entries will soon be something to
look forward to!