The 30-Day Private Journaling Challenge
Photo by Max Saeling
I’d like to start a journaling challenge. I will be the only one to hold myself accountable. That’s because it will be completely private, not shared.
Let’s pick a length…30 days, to start. Then, I can make a goal of 6 months total, and so on.
It sounds drastic but think about it… journaling is a great way of practicing “mental hygiene.”
This post is to get it started.
The only things about this project that I will share from time to time will be reflections on the process as a whole.
It’s the skill of silence to solve struggles. The goal of this challenge will be to find out what benefits the daily habit of private journaling can give. Plain and simple.
Some benefits I foresee:
- It’s me time. Just one half hour per day I need to make happen, no matter what. I owe it for to myself to show up for the person who needs someone to show up the most: me.
- I’ll be able to spill all those thoughts that get trapped inside, with zero consequences for saying the “wrong” thing. In other words, I won’t have to censor myself as I write my private journal entries. I can release all the junk from inside. How therapeutic does that sound? “Mental Hygeine” is a term that describes taking care of your mental health, just as you take care of your physical body and home. Journaling is a great way to clear away clutter in your brain. 🧠
- I’ll be getting practice at writing without feedback. Of course, feedback is extremely valuable in your (lifelong) writing development journey. So I’ll continue writing public posts on Medium, networking, and enjoying the great advice and critique my readers and fellow writers have to offer. However, private journaling will offer me space to practice my craft in free form, allowing me to try new things and worry more about the message, even in its imperfect form. Because nobody ever has to see it. Who knows what great words I might get out when I’m not preoccupied with grammar and typos. Which brings me to…
- This is not really a benefit per say, but I want to share it anyway. I’ve been doing a lot of writing on my phone. And I’ve gotten really good at it. Now, I can write just as easily on my phone keyboard as I can on my laptop. It’s kind of strange to think about it, but my brain is wired differently on my phone than it is in my computer. For one, it’s less restricted. I can pull my phone out and jot something down in my notes app or work on a draft in Medium, whenever. That means I capture fresh thoughts instead of having to save them for the computer. I also think in a more socially minded way when I write on my phone. My mind is already in social mode, as I’ve been shuffling through my social apps and catching up on text messages and Snaps. So my writing tends to flow in a more conversational tone, rather than the uptight academic impression that my computer gives my voice. Also, I can sit on my back porch in the dark, listening to the crickets while I write down thoughts on my convenient little phone.
So let’s see what happens.
I’m committing myself to this 30-day journal writing challenge. I’m starting today, (June 22, 2018), and following through the month with one half hour of journal writing per day.
I hope it forms a new habit 🤞. I hope I experience the benefits I predict, and more. There will be a follow up post at the end of 30 days (my goal day will be July 21, 2018), at which I hope to extend my goal even longer.
I am excited for this adventure and I hope you want to follow along!
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