I was never into journaling.  Maybe it’s because I was never good at it.  Or perhaps, more likely, I had not developed the discipline it takes to sit down each day and write.  However, since developing the habit, I’ll likely never turn back.

Here are my top 3 reasons why. And I don’t think these benefits only apply to me.  I truly believe everyone should begin journaling in some way or another.

1. Allows me to process my thoughts.  I don’t really have a template for journaling…but if I did, it would look a lot like what Michael Hyatt blogged about.  When I open my journal and commit some minutes to it, I gain clarity.  It could be a situation at work, home, or in my own mind – but writing down my thoughts allows me to process them in a way unlike anything else.
2. Allows me to look back & learn from the past. There are specific journals for this – the 5 year journal is one of them.  I don’t use those – I just have a practice of “every-once-in-a-while” I go back and read previous entries.  Reading something I wrote 365 days ago puts most of life into perspective.  I can read what I was praying about…and then see how God answered that prayer.  I can read the things I was worried about…and then see how it worked out in the end.
3. It disciplines my time with Jesus. This was actually the reason I started journaling, and it has proven over and over to be effective.  Putting pen to paper while spending time with Jesus has helped me in two ways.  First, it allows me to write down my prayers, which helps me stay focused.  Second, it allows me to write down thoughts about Scripture, which helps me engage with the text more.

So, those are my reasons I’ll likely never stop journaling.

Do you journal?  What “top reason” would you add to the list?