NEVER TOO BUSY TO JOURNAL
Too Busy to Journal?
I used to think I was too busy to journal until I discovered this One Line a Day: A Five Year Memory Book.
It was actually due to another Medium writer’s article, 8 Things I Learned from Journaling Every Day for 5 Years by Stephanie Em. Thanks for the unintended prompt, Em.
One thing she said particularly resonated with me, “But because the goal was small — two sentences a day, it was easy to keep at it and I didn’t even see it as a chore.”
When Sarah K. Butterfield read this story she introduced me to her article, Five Reasons Every Parent Should Keep a Five Year Journal.
I’ve always loved writing, and journaling in coffee shops used to be one of my favorite hobbies. — Sarah K. Butterfield
So parents take heed and read it!
Not Too Busy to Journal
I am primarily a journalist and blogger, though I have several sources of income. I need a space I can quickly jot down story or article ideas, and this is perfect. My daughter gifts me a daily planner or journal nearly every year for Christmas.
One year she gave me a Hobbit Moleskine that I still refer back to from time-to-time. I absolutely treasure this little pocket-size gift.
Every year, I make a New Year’s resolution to journal every day. I rarely make it past February journaling, but I usually fill up the planner with story ideas, titles, and subtitles.
Sometimes, I even get a full outline, but not very often. I always convince myself that I am just too busy.
I like the idea of this journal because of its simplicity. I can write one line every night. No matter how busy I am. I make a quick note, and sometimes that note turns into a full-blown article later.
Journaling is something I have always enjoyed. The idea of writing down little tidbits about my day is uplifting. Sometimes, I only make a smiley face or a frown. But with this journal, I can write a one-line highlight about my day.
Writing down the things I am thinking about, which I think might make a good story could be the start of something good. You’d be surprised how much your brain will automatically add to your story if you write down just one line.
Keeping the journal by my bed helps so that if I wake up from a dream, I can quickly write a highlight and go back to sleep.
Writing on Medium from My Journal
I wrote about a dream I had about meteor showers, and it became a full-length short story that helped me get Top Writer on Medium.
Another idea was living on the moon, I am still growing that story. One night I was constipated and wrote, “Can laughter help you poop?”
One time while I was dealing with a bout of Impostor syndrome, I wrote, “Am I an amateur?” Amateur actually comes from the Latin for love, amatorem. In 1784, the French restored it to mean, “one who has a taste for some art, study, or pursuit.” But that individual has not applied it as a profession.
Therefore, I am but I’m not because I have done quite well financially with my writing, at times. Although I have never sold a book, I have had short stories and a poem published. Not to mention somewhere around 150 websites that I have written the content for and several hundreds blogs and thousands of product descriptions.
I wrote a story about that, too. My friend asked me, “Why don’t you get a real job?”
So, if you also are too busy to journal, grab one of these One Line a Day: A Five Year Memory Book.
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How to Contact Me
Stephen Dalton is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Currently living in the Philippines, Stephen is a Top Writer in Virtual Reality.
You can see his portfolio here. Email [email protected]