You Read the Book. Here’s How to Use Journaling as a Self-Reflection Tool
In the world of great literature, introspection is the gift that keeps on giving. Introspection or simply taking time to reflect and ponder ideas, information, and the experiences of others allows us to gather new knowledge. It also presents an opportunity to for us discover areas of self-improvement and growth.
After you read a great novel, it can be tempting to put it on a bookshelf and allow it to collect dust. Let’s take it a step further. Next time you read a great novel (or even as you are reading it), pull out a pen and paper and embark on the process of journaling. Start asking yourself questions about the narrative, the characters, the conflict, and the journey the character takes to reach success or failure. Journaling creates space for a good read to sink a little bit deeper.
Below we have compiled a list of ways that journaling can be used as a powerful tool for self-reflection in tandem with a great book.
1. Dissect the motives behind a character’s actions.
Lauren Oliver, author of “Before I Fall,” wrote, “I shiver, thinking how easy it is to be totally wrong about people — to see one tiny part of them and confuse it for the whole, to see the cause and think it’s the effect or vice versa.” Characters, whether in real life or in great works of literature are complex creatures. One great thing about journaling is that it allows you to ask the “why” and to consider the motives behind a character’s actions.
2. Empathize with a character.
Once you have taken the time to identify the motivations behind a character’s actions (i.e. they are striving to belong, they are trying to return home, or they are searching for their purpose), you can begin to empathize with them. This is the “take a walk in another man’s shoes” experience where you are able to get into the mind of the character and hypothesize what they might be thinking or feeling.
In a journal, you can jot down underlying emotions that the character might be experiencing. As you consider these ideas, take a moment to sit with them. What fear, hurt, loss, anticipation, or joy might the character be experiencing and how does it affect their actions?
3. Reflect on a character’s successes and failures and how they got there.
Another great part about journaling is that it helps you to connect the dots of a story. How did the character get to this physical place or this emotional space? What led him or her here? What part did her actions play in driving this narrative?
Much like real life, characters in literature are the heroes of their story. They have choice, and those choices add up to outcomes. Take time to reflect on the sequence of cause and effect in the storyline and its significance. (Bonus: You can make a Venn Diagram of Cause/Effect to analyze the major events in the story.)
4. Pinpoint new information to learn from or to challenge your perspective.
One of the most important parts of being a reader is to be curious and inquisitive. As readers, we always want to be gathering information, challenging our perspectives, and growing. As you are reading a novel, pull out new information or ideas that might be counter to your own opinions. Jot those down.
As you look back on your notes, take inventory of new or challenging information that the book offered. How does this idea or thought differ from what you know to be true? In what ways might you be able to expand your perspective?
5. Identify takeaways for your own life.
The best literature offers takeaways to apply to our own worlds. Whether it’s a message on courage, the value of community, hope, or adventure, literature is a means of holding a mirror to our own worlds and examining areas in need of growth. Use your journal to write down what you can learn from the story and its characters. What lessons can you apply to your own life? Which character do you relate to the most or not relate to? Why?
