I've always used journals to try to "get at" personal "issues" in my mind. But I never really knew how to make them work for me. Sometimes I got the feeling, that a problem would simply magnify itself if I made the mistake of focusing on it sufficiently to spend an hour or a bit writing up a few paragraphs of complaint in a journal. Often, when I go back to a ten or twenty year old journal, I see identical sentences and identical ideas about identical problems. I started to wonder whether all this journaling was doing me any good.

I've recently decided to try to "name the problem" without explaining it. Just give it a headline, a title; maybe a sentence at the most, perhaps a rather long sentence. Certainly no "here's why" or "here's how I feel about it," just "this is problem X; this is issue Y." This approach, call it the "this is" approach, has actually gotten me quite centered and happy about my day. I wonder if it will last, this positive effect from the new technique. (Of course, a nice pen helps! )

I wonder if others have questions about the most "effective" way to write a journal. The way that would most help you remain in line with your goals, get you to where you want to be, make your life happier and less full of complaint about "oh the injustice of it all." What are your mental maneuvers? Blotch it all out on the page? Keep it to a minimum? Try to write specifically to a question? Which ones work, which ones don't, for you?

I've found that some problems in my life - the ones I can't do a thing about - don't seem to improve with endless introspection and analysis. Of course, I need a certain amount of analysis to figure out that it is indeed a problem I do not have any control over. But once I've determined that, it is better for me - as you indicate above - to simply name the problem - say, "There it is. It exists. I am powerless. Let it be." Then I put my faith in God and move on as best I can - I begin focusing on what I can to instead of what I can't do. This method does seem to offer me more peace of mind than constantly wrestling and reflecting.

Maybe your naming the problem without explaining it amounts to a kind of acceptance that's giving you more peace than a lengthy explanation. I don't know. Just my thoughts.

Judybug

Depends on the problem as Judybug so aptly pointed out. If its something beyond our control then endless analysis is a waste of everything.

The key is in the identification.

Then for me I work on sorting out what I am going to do to make it better.

If its something beyond my control then I work on changing myself so it no longer upsets me. In other words finding acceptance and how to better achieve that. I may write about it extensively while trying to sort out the How's, or I may use it to vent as a prelude to "letting it go". Since you

It its something I do have control over then I work on ways to make progress. I look at the issues, why I'm having problems and what would be better.

And sometimes its just a dumping ground for thoughts I don't have time or room for in my head.

Sometimes I think I'm just going nowhere with my life, over and over. I've been "dead ended" by career ever since I made the drastic mistake of (Oh, I won't name it) choosing something that turns out to have very few opportunities. With that go several other issues, and no chance to move on in a practical sense. So when I look back on my journals it's always writing about something stemming from that; and yet not ever knowing what to DO to differentiate and get different results out of my life. Aside from "whoop it up and have enthusiasm" type advice (which I abhor; getting excited just means doing something unproductive with a lot of yelling a screaming instead of doing something unproductive in a relaxed manner) there's really nowhere in our culture to turn for "how to be a really great success at what you do" type advice. So things take me other: animal drives, trying out other venues for money and fame, etc. etc. Just going at it over and over and getting the same results (which is, as someone said, the definition of insanity) and yet HAVING to go at it over and over again.

Sometimes I wish I were born a medieval peasant. Then, if I'd failed to be a real great success at what I did, largely because of bad luck and a bit of poor timing, and a lot of very very bad advice from the vast majority of people in positions of authority, I wouldn't be derided for having "made nothing of your life." I'd be plowing and not EXPECTED to make anything of my life.

So what is the point of a journal, if you don't get anywhere with it? Just naming the same things over and over again ... grinding those wheels ... turn that gerbil wheel turn turn turn.

I've been there and done that a couple of times. My attitude and outlook were going from bad to abysmal in a bottomless hand basket. Then, I thought, "Wait a minute, here. I've got a warm, dry, secure place to stay. I have the most nutritious food any human has ever had since we came down out of the trees, in adequate quantity, and every prospect for more into the foreseeable future. My clothes suit the climate. Nobody is shooting at me. I have good health. I have interesting things to do, when I'm not working. And I have a looksome lady to share it all with. That lot constitutes 99% of what this world can offer a human being! If that last 1% comes wobbling past my easychair, I might just reach out for it, but I'm not going to make myself crazy by chasing it all over creation."

So, when someone sees me sitting out in the yard and I have a "cool one" near at hand, and I am grinning and maybe writing in my journal, and they ask me what I am doing, I tell them, "I am counting to 99." If it helps to make a lits of all 99, I do that.

Paddler

Wow....I really, really like that. Thank you. With your permission, I may have to print that and hang it on the wall to remind myself of it when I start stressing over "messes."

As far as my journal goes, I rarely focus on problems. In fact, I rarely focus on much of anything. I tend to write in a disjointed, highly unstylized way. In theory, I like to note the pen/ink I'm using if different than standard "journal pen/ink," write about how work was, what we're doing that evening, and maybe what tomorrow holds. In reality, I tend to wind up with three paragraphs that each contain some pen stuff, some personal stuff, some work stuff, and some random thoughts (caused by the TV/radio/conversations overheard while writing..whatever). I bounce around a lot.

The one thing I try to do is exactly what finalidid has discovered. I may not even name the problem. "Work was kind of a pain. XXX acted a little strange today." There's probably a LOT more to the story, but I figure when I go back and read these in 2 months, 2 years, or 20 years, the little problems that plagued me (even for weeks at a time) will seem awfully inconsequential in the big picture. "Troubles come, and they will pass." When I used to detail every thought and feeling about every problem, I tended to start magnifying the trouble in my own mind. Acknowledge that it's there, but also move on and cover the good points or you'll quickly convince yourself you're in really bad shape.

~~King

I empathize with your writing the same things in the same words. I don't quite do that, but it's clear that my life tends to spiral, and the same issues come up over and over. I've been toying with taking a month and doing an index of all my journals, just to see what happens (something like a spreadsheet, with people's names, moods, issues, etc., so that I can see the patterns more clearly).

As for "best ways," I often just start with where I am (subway, living room, doctor's waiting room) and write a list of whatever pops up in my head, not even really looking at the page until I'm done, and then I write, "What am I not seeing?" and try a list of those as quickly as possible. The things I'm not seeing list will usually have at least two things worth looking at.

KingJoe,

Permission granted. To everyone.

Paddler

A number of years ago, I started the practice of defining a problem or difficulty I was trying to resolve prior to going to sleep. I would write the title of the problem on a piece of paper and then list what I knew (not what I thought) about the problem. Sometimes this was a pro/con list for making a decision. I would do this immediately before sleep and I would "forget" the problem over night. During the night, my subconscious mind would work on the problem and quite often in the morning a solution would present itself. This technique was not my invention, but I don't remember when or where I came to know of it.

Today, I do much the same thing by writing in my journal at all times of day and then letting my mind free to work on a solution. The act of writing it out seems to trigger the mental process. I also keep a separate prayer journal where I list specific prayer requests and record the outcomes. This process not only pleases me greatly, it is very rewarding.

Craig

I think what Paddler was describing is Gratitude. Whether i'm frustrated with things in my life or pretty content, the running thread- thru it all - is that i'm grateful for the things i do have in my life. And i truly believe that what we focus on we get more of...i've seen the truth of that over and over again in myself and in other people. And also, since American society/culture has an unhealthy approach to soooo many things, i decided a long time ago to ignore its definition of success.

I often use my journal to 'vent', but i don't take my venting too seriously...it's like throwing up on the page and then it's over. What i do take seriously is my writing about what i love, what i see in life that creates joy in me or compassion for others.

I heard, or read once, that prayer is more about saying thank-you (being grateful) than asking for something. Even though i'm not a Christian and don't really pray, it resonated with me and i use this approach in my journal.

~Jasper

Craig...My comment on prayer was an original thought...it was not in response to what you wrote, as i first read what you wrote after posting mine.

Your original thought works well for me too. I am blessed and I am thankful for all those blessings.

When my life gets overwhelming I wish to be either a well-loved family cat or a UPS delivery driver.

Hey -

I have been where you are, recently enough that your post sounds eerily familiar. I believe that everyone has major life issues that they keep returning to and re-enacting. The characters may be different each time around, but the situations are the same. I don't know if you've tried this, but I've found professional help (i.e., therapy) to be beneficial. My therapists provide a 2nd perspective to coach me around recurring problems and self-defeating behaviors. And they've been supportive of my journaling, even to the point of assigning "homework" for me in between sessions.

Also - I think it's the journey, not the destination, that deserves attention, which is what you're doing already, even if it feels like you're walking in circles. Recognizing it is half the battle, and you're there already.

Sincerely,

Yumbo

I agree with yumbo. I have been having therapy (last session this week) and one of my early "homework assignments" was to get a nice book and keep a note of one achievement, and one treat for myself, every day. Even if the achievement was "I got out of bed" and even if I got a drink of water and crept back into bed. (You might be able to guess from that, that on some days, I was in a pretty bad shape )

One of the other things she suggested which was helpful was a "because I'm worth it" attitude. This is one of the things that has led me to decide to build up a small collection of fountain pens. Writing a shopping list or noting down a telephone number gives me much more of a "worth it" feeling than doing it with a biro or a stiff ballpen, and I enjoy writing much more with a FP so I write more, at the moment it is mostly about the pens, but I have no plans to make it deeply personal or soul-searching. I do plenty enough of that in my head most of the day. Although it is good to think about your problems if it helps you come up with solutions, I've realised that writing too much negative stuff down and reading it back just reinforces it.

About the "whoop it up" type of advice - yeah. I'm a really whooping type of person too.. not

About the "counting your blessings" type of advice - I used to be in a place where counting my blessings just wasn't possible, there was a cloud for every silver lining. But, I can count my blessings these days. Thanks Padder, I might just pinch your words too!

I think you're going the right way with just "headlining" your troubles, and if it is already making you feel better that's great!

I think there's some law of the universe that says - "What you are grateful for will improve and what you are not grateful for will deteriorate." And isn't there a Bible verse somewhere that says when we are faithful in little things, greater things will be entrusted to us?

Judybug

There are also health benefits...research has shown that:

" Expressing gratitude signals the brain to release healing endorphins that send messages to the body that all is well. These healing endorphins minimize the effects of stress and anxiety. They strengthen the immune system so it's able to more effectively resist illness as well as expedite the healing process. The more we experience a sense of gratitude, the more endorphins we secrete, which contribute to happier, healthier, and longer lives. In addition, we're less inclined to suffer from depression and worry, and we laugh more. " ~Carol Ritberger

~Jas

Hmm. Maybe my "name the problem" can become, "Name the issue." And as issues, I can have negatives and positives.

Things I'm worrying about: just the title. Then, things I'm grateful for: again, a title is sufficient.

Interesting idea. The point of starting this thread, for me, was merely to identify the new journaling method, the "name the issue" thing I'd come up with. I see that at least one other person has done something similar at times: just NAME the problem, identify what you KNOW rather than all the ins and outs of what you feel or why why why. I don't see why it can't be done for positives in the same manner as negatives. Hmm.

I do something similar to this. My journals seem to be emotion-driven, stream of consciousness rambling. I was finding it hard to focus on my real-life goals. It was a bit of not seeing the forest for the trees. So I have one journal in which each page starts: What I want and the rest of the page elaborates on the topic. All of the wants are non-tangible life improvements (not things I can buy.)

I love the idea that "the things I'm not seeing will have at least two things worth looking at."

I have a novelist friend who takes her journal to coffee shops. She chats with herself on paper, but also incorporates snippets of overheard conversations, sounds of the espresso machine, descriptions of the server's gazillion piercings, musings about the firetruck going by...whatever catches her attention, however fleetingly...

I've found it's a great way of getting myself out of "head space" and opening up some of the other senses, which I don't tend to do when I journal. And looking at the things I don't usually see. Sometimes I get trapped in just talking about stuff in my journals. That's when I get that stuck feeling people have described here.

It's cool to kind of open my pores when I am out and about. As a big city dweller, I think I walk around in a cocoon a lot of the time just to stay sane. But to sit down with a great cup of coffee, the luxury of uninterrupted time, and the power of really paying attention to small things in the world for a while...

I'm sorta new to this bulletin board thing, not quite sure where this will end up in the strings and threads. I have been journaling for many years and keep several journals w/ different focus for each. My main journal is for most daily ramblings and is used most often. But I also have a visioning journal (for exploring what I want to bring into my life, strategic planning sort of thing and brainstorming ideas), a journal to my son (he'll get when I die), a journal of quotes and notes from readings, and one of story ideas in case I ever get time to write rather than dream of it. I used to keep a dream journal, but now put that into the main journal. My goal for this summer (or whenever I really get to it) is to keep an illustrated journal w/ drawings and minimalist on words.

For my main journal, I've found it helpful to title it and list the dates beginning and ending. This has really made a difference compared to when I just wrote. It surprises me each time how appropriate the title ends up being. If nothing else, it leads me to some deep reflection on life, the universe and everything. I've also begun marking writings that I think I may want to come back to sometime and may even write a word or two about the topic. My journaling is an integral part of my life and even on hectic weeks, I find at least some time on the weekend to write. I really feel this has kept me sane and well-balanced.

I have been working on the outline and format for a workshop on journaling, one of my visions for the future. There are tons of great books with everything from strict formats to cafeteria styles ideas out there. Lucia Cappicione is one of my favorite authors - she writes on journaling and visioning. Barbara Sher has a great book "Wishcraft" (be careful how you say it) that gives some really good ideas for working on change in your life that could be topics for journaling.

I am not sure how much of my pleasure from journaling is the pen, the journal, or the act of writing. It's all three of course. I do find that using a pen I love and a really nice journal takes it from the realm of writing to something more magical. I love a blank paged journal, but they're harder to find. I have one tucked away for the illustrated journal project. For now, I'm using a leather bound journal with an XF green shimmer Waterman Carene. When I get the nib on my Krone Nirvana converted to an XF, then that will probably become the alpha pen.

A few exercises I use when working with journaling:
- write a list of everything you are grateful for each day; it's important to do this daily even if it seems repetetive
- for working with dreams, pick the most vivid image and write as if you were that person, place or thing; tell what you are doing in the dream, what's happening from your perspective, and what your message is to the dreamer
- for emotional stuff, write down the most intense emotion of the day, then write about what contributed to that emotion, looking for primary and secondary factors, and finally write out the thoughts that accompanied the emotion

and now to see if this posts where I can ever find it again!

I was saying to my wife last night, after a tiny and inconsequential disaster in the kitchen that, while I'm glad it's generally the case I'd kind of like to have a day in which the crutch of "Hey, that could have been worse!" could stand unneeded in a corner....

...and then he put down the ugly mood and walked away before he could oppress the nice and helpful people gathered here. Some days I really do live up to my nom de 'net. Cliff, the Peasant posting made me say, "That's me in a warmer climate." I know precisely how much it helps to hear it, but you're in a well-populated boat. One'n'all, keep up the efforts to generate light; if it doesn't help the one you're doing it for, it still counts to your favour.

edit- also, since this seems a good thread for it: I take great joy from Yumbo's avatar.