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Journaling Column

Journals You Can Keep
by Doreene Clement

Besides your daily feelings, thoughts, and experiences journal, there are many ideas for journals that you can keep, some are suggested below.  Buy a blank book or a notebook with a particular journal topic in mind and keep this book for only that topic.  You may decide to keep several kinds of journals at the same time, so remember that you do not have to journal every day.

1. Family Journal - Journal about yourself and your family, the children, your parents, or relatives.   You can have a weekly 'family journal night,' where the whole family can get together and either journal or discuss their journals.   For any age, drawing is a way to journal thoughts.

2. Letter Journal - After you've written a letter, make a copy and keep it in its own file or binder.

3. Memory Journal - Think back, and journal one memory a day.

4. Gratitude Journal - Journal one thing in your life that you are grateful for that day.

5. Prayer Journal - Journal a prayer a day.  Your prayer, a friend's, the prayer from the paper, etc.

6. Good Thoughts Journal - Journal at least one good thought each day.

7. Books/Movies Journal - Journal the books you have read or the movies you have seen.  What were your experiences?   Who suggested the book or movie?   Who did you see the movie with?

8. Couples Journal - Take time every day to write something to each other.   Journal about each other, an experience of the day, a dream for the future, even an, "I'm sorry."

9. Dream Journal - Upon waking, journal your dreams.

10. Friendship Journal - Journal your experiences and feelings about the lunch you just had with a friend, your visit with your sister, what you are looking forward to with a co-worker and the new work project.

11. Birthday Journal - Have your friends pick a date and journal why they picked that date, and ask them to retell a funny story, journal how you met, or say why they care for you as they do.

12. Recipe Journal - Journal past and present recipes.  Include where you got the recipe, where and when you served it, who was there, and what they thought.   You can keep a journal for salads, dinners, and a third for desserts.

13. Sports Journal - Journal your experiences with your favorite team.

14. Health Journal - Journal how you feel physically and what you are going thru health wise.

15. Diet/Exercise Journal - Journal what you eat, and your current times, distances, repetitions, weights, and other capabilities, tracking your progress.

16. Finance Journal - Daily you can journal all expenses, certain expenses, or have a place to keep this journal for family or employees to enter their expenses. You can also use this journal idea to track your present financial situation, or reflect on what you want to change or keep the same.

17. Collection/Hobby Journal - Journal your experiences and feelings about what you collect or your hobby, your stamps, coins, furniture, scrapbooking, dolls, etc.   Besides journaling about the actual collection, you can record your feelings, what you saw, what you heard, who you met.

18. Focus Journal - Journal what you want to focus on tomorrow, or what you did focus on today.

19. Joke Journal - Journal a joke a day.  Make one up or record a good one that you heard.

20. Travel Journal  - Journal your travels, all those adventures and experiences.

Copyright © 2001 Doreene Clement. All Rights Reserved.

Doreene Clement is the creator of The 5 Year Journal, a journal where you can write about your life in one book for 5 years. 

www.the5yearjournal.com info@the5yearjournal.com