Since I started keeping a diary when I was 12, it has been one of the few consistent parts of my life. Wherever I go, I always take my diary book with me. It has been an indispensable item in my life.
If you want to become someone with strong self-love and self-reflection. One of the best habits you should cultivate is keeping a diary. I am still on my way of improving and achieving more, but over the last ten year, I have gained so much by keeping a diary. Today I want to share 5 benefits of keeping a diary based on my 10 years of practice.
1. Express and Discover Myself
No matter its pleasant or unpleasant experience. I have a desire to write down my strong feelings immediately. This has something to do with why I started to keep a diary from beginning. It was THE channel for my to express and help myself.
I started keeping a diary during I would say 'the most difficult' years of my life when I was 12. I needed a lot of energy and power from within to be okay back then. In my life story From a Tibetan Town to a German City I also mentioned those 2 years. When I had a lot of stress from studying, adapting to a new environment while being bullied by classmates. Keeping a diary for me was like talking to a friend. From which I could express my honest thoughts and feelings while gaining power in return.
What do I really like? What did not I enjoy? What could have I said? Or what I want to do next? Putting my thoughts and feelings into words, I slowly get answers to these questions. The more I write, the more I know and understand myself more.
2. Record and Remember Moments
Time flies... so fast! I realized that my brain re-arrange my memories to make me feel better, even if that is far away from the reality. To me, writing down those small loving or struggling moments helps me to keep my journey coherent. Especially when I know I would forget most of the details in the future. It's also quite fun to read diaries after some years. I could clearly see what I chose to remember and what what I actually wrote on the diary.
Diary serves as a time capsule. Through which you could go back to the old times and recall those events and feelings. Those written down words prove a lot of things have happened, just like pictures or videos taken. When one's memory is vague, external objects are the evidence of one's own history
3. Reflect myself
Keeping a diary sometimes is akin to a self-coaching session. I often reflect on the situations I have been involved in or some people I have dealt with. I see it as an honest written self assessment. Sometime I simply describe what has happened. Then realize my own mistakes while defending myself in certain circumstances. I have found it to be very much helpful in my personal life.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. – Ferris Bueller
There are so many moments I look back and can comment: oh man! That was very stupid of me! It is normal to make mistakes and have regrets or feel ashamed. But becoming aware of those mistakes and regrets helps me to improve and do better next time.
4. Track Progress
As time goes by, I upgraded my diary-keeping many times. I have now not only daily notes of my life, but also monthly and yearly log. Basically I also set my annual and monthly goals in my diary.
Every time before the year ends, I make an assessment of the year and write down my new years resolution. I like to refer to the-wheel-of-life tool and goal setting method like OKRs. The key aspects in life for me are: Health, Intelligence & Hobbies, Finance, Relationship and Career. I write down what I want to achieve in each aspects (Objectives) first. And then break it down to every month's focus of how to achieve them(Key Results).
Every month I write a small summary to track my progress. I also adjust my objectives when situations changes. For example: in 2020 one of my objectives in 2020 was 'Spend quality time with family in China' . I had to remove this goal or plan from my list due to pandemic regulations in China. After all keeping a dairy is for myself not anybody else. I can literarily do anything I want about it. :)
Besides above 4 listed benefits that keeping a diary has brought to me, there are much more. You will find out more by starting it! You can start small by jotting down a few thoughts every week or every second day. Then gradually increase the amount of writing. Remember you do it for yourself and you don't need to share everything you write with others!
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