Why Keep A Diary In 2022?

Be a better storyteller and not bore everyone to death

“Everybody has a story and all stories are interesting if they are told in the right tone.” — Isabel Allende

When you hang out with friends, you may notice how some tell an anecdote that happened during their day which in essence is completely uninteresting such as when they waited in line at the bank or ran into someone at the mall but the way they relate that experience is so engaging and well narrated that it has captured your attention.

It can also happen that another friend tells you an exciting adventure he recently had like going scuba diving in the coral reef of Mexico or visiting Athens in Greece but you are bored to death due to how flat and dispassionate he is telling you about it.

You may even wonder why nobody pays attention to you when you try to tell how was your day. That’s okay!

I was and sometimes still am there but as with many things in life, the key is constant practice. At any point in your life, you probably had a journal in which to write about your day, secret thoughts, tasks, or dreams but left it because of whatever reason — in my case, it was because I didn’t believe I had anything impressive going on in my life.

However, this is a new year. Therefore, is time to make new memories that you’ll never forget if you start to build the habit of writing daily.

Here I give you 5 reasons why you should keep a journal in 2022.

1. Document Your Life

Imagine your first time traveling abroad, what do you remember from it? Of course, where it was but what else? where did you go? how did you feel at that place? how were the locals? what did you learn from this experience?

When you had a meaningful moment you might think that you will remember it forever, it will always be present in your mind.

We all know that’s not the case.

There are many ways to document your life. From taking photos and making home videos to drawing in a sketchbook and making a scrapbook, I consider writing in a diary the most effective as you put your experiences in words.

Every detail, action, and emotion is stored on a page for you to years later or even decades after the event go back and recall how you were and thought back then.

2. Find Your Writer’s Voice

What is your writing voice? For one person, it may be the use of sarcastic language. For another, creative metaphors. And for another person, it is having every single detail on paper.

You won’t find your own voice unless you write constantly.

Many people look for their voice. They fantasize about becoming a writer or visualize themselves drafting a masterpiece while not writing anything.

Having a diary is the best way to discover what’s your unique voice. I still don’t know what mine is but my writing has improved since I started making this a habit.

3. Be A Better Storyteller

You don’t have to write a whole page every day. Start with taking notes, then describe the event, and finally try to make a story out of it.

The thing with keeping a diary is that you have this eye-bird view of the things that happen around you. You become an observer.

Unless you are writing on a computer, you don’t have the luxury to edit what you put on paper, so you have to write clearly. After you do this a lot of times, you’ll find that now your prose is faster and more concise.

At the time you meet with your family or friends again your story will catch their attention.

4. Relieve Stress And Anxiety

Writing down your feelings helps you to transfer and store the fears, worries, anxieties, frustrations, and pains you have accumulated over time.

This can help you to reduce or release a bit of the stress you have every day. Just report whatever is on your mind — don’t worry about your spelling or calligraphy.

Write in the stream of consciousness.

Although this does not work for everyone, expressing yourself in a diary is a way to liberate any apprehension that prevents you from feeling happy.

5. Organize Your Thoughts

This is a benefit you realize a few days after initiating a diary.

Concise writing will also help you organize your ideas and not to overthink too much about using the perfect words or how to arrange them.

Better said, it streamlines your overall writing process.

This will be of great support when you have to compose an essay for college or write an article on Medium.

Thanks for reading!

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