Journal Writing: Taking a Nightly Inventory

Guest blogger Ryan Glassmoyer is the Managing Editor of  AllTreatment.com, a drug treatment and education website.

Journal Writing: Taking a Nightly Inventory, Ryan Glassmoyer

I like to journal nightly about the good and bad parts of my day.

Over time this leads to personal growth and emotional stability.

There are many ways to journal. Play around with what works for you. Try diary form or make a checklist. Any inquiry into the positive and negative events of a day promotes growth.

Questions to Ask Ourselves:

Was I angry today? When was I happy?

Was I selfish? Did I help others?

Was I dishonest? Was I honest?

Was I fearful? Was I faithful?

The Act of Bettering Ourselves:

Self searching is at the heart of spiritual growth. Journal writing highlights where we want to make changes in life.

Perspective:

Writing down feelings and actions gives a clear picture of what’s going on in our lives.

Discover What Is Really Going On:

Emotions can come out sideways. We acquire small resentments and without recognition they fester; eventually unleashing on the barista or our spouse. Taking inventory of what upset us during the day allows us to keep tabs on our emotions. When we know what is bothering us we have power to remedy it.

Give Credit:

Take notice of the good parts of the day. Observing where we’ve acted better than we would have a month before creates a consciousness of growth. Acknowledging the “ups” creates belief that the “downs” are repairable and temporary.

Daily Practice:

Commitment to journal writing amplifies the practice. Repeated introspection builds emotional stability and sustainable behavior change. Journaling empowers us to own our personal actions (the only factors in our lives that are in our control.) By noticing our rise and fall we are more aware of the general flux of human lives. When others wrong us we become more forgiving, for we have been learning to forgive ourselves. We see that life is a process and not a destination.