25 Reasons To Journal

Journaling. You’ve seen podcasts, blogs, and celebrity interviews about how important it is… but perhaps you haven’t taken the leap yet.

Everyone starts their journaling journey somewhere, so if you’ve never put the proverbial pen to paper, you’re not alone.

While it can seem tough to find a break between all the noise and distractions of daily life in order to sit down and write, journaling is worth finding time for. It’s a simple, powerful practice that can transform your life in so many ways. 

Here are some ways—25 of them, to be exact—that journaling can help you solve even the most challenging of life’s problems. 

25 Reasons To Start Journaling

• Clarity of thought: Journaling allows you to untangle the jumble of thoughts in your mind, helping you gain clarity on your feelings, desires, and deeper beliefs.
  
  
• Stress relief: Putting pen to paper is a therapeutic way to release stress and tension, providing a sense of relief and calmness.
  
  
• Emotional healing: Writing about your emotions can facilitate emotional processing and healing, helping you navigate difficult experiences and find meaning in them.
  
  
• Self-discovery: Journaling provides a safe space for self-exploration and discovery, allowing you to learn more about who you are and what truly matters to you.
  
  
• Enhanced creativity: Engaging in the creative act of journaling stimulates your imagination and enhances your creativity, leading to innovative thinking and problem-solving.
  
  
• Improved memory: Regularly journaling about your experiences can boost memory retention, helping you remember important details and lessons learned.
  
  
• Increased self-awareness: By reflecting on your thoughts and actions, journaling fosters self-awareness, enabling you to understand yourself on a deeper level.
  
  
• Tracking your progress: Writing down your goals and aspirations makes them more tangible and increases your commitment to achieving them.
  
  
• Self-accountability: Keeping a journal holds you accountable for your actions and decisions, motivating you to stay true to your intentions and values.
  
  
• Gratitude: Journaling about the things you're grateful for cultivates a positive mindset and appreciation for life's blessings.
  
  
• Problem solving: Writing about challenges and brainstorming solutions in your journal can help you gain perspective and find effective ways to overcome obstacles.
  
  
• Personal growth: Journaling is a journey of self-improvement, empowering you to learn from past experiences and evolve into the best version of yourself.
  

• Mindfulness: The act of journaling encourages mindfulness as you focus on the present moment and engage fully with your thoughts and feelings.
  
  
• Reflection: Regularly reflecting on your experiences through journaling allows you to track your growth and progress over time.
  
  
• Enhanced communication: Writing in your journal sharpens your communication skills, making you a more articulate and expressive speaker.
  
  
• Reduced anxiety and depression: Research suggests that journaling can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression by providing an outlet for self-expression and emotional processing.
  
  
• Improved sleep: Journaling before bedtime can help clear your mind of worries and anxieties, promoting better sleep quality and duration.
  
  
• Self-expression: Your journal is a blank canvas for self-expression, where you can freely express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas without judgment.
  
  
• Increased productivity: Journaling helps you organize your thoughts and prioritize tasks, leading to improved productivity and time management skills.
  
  
• Boosted confidence: Reflecting on your achievements and strengths in your journal boosts self-confidence and self-esteem.
  
  
• Cathartic release: Pouring your emotions onto the pages of your journal provides a cathartic release, freeing you from emotional burdens and negative energy.
  
  
• Sense of purpose: Journaling helps you clarify your values and purpose in life, guiding you towards meaningful and fulfilling experiences.
  
  
• Documentation of life: Your journal serves as a record of your life journey, capturing memories, insights, and lessons that you can cherish for years to come.
  
  
• Connection with others: Sharing a meaningful journal entry with trusted peers or loved ones can foster deeper connections and understanding in your relationships.
  
  
• Personal sanctuary: Ultimately, your journal is a sacred space where you can be your truest self, reflect on your experiences, and nurture your innermost thoughts and feelings.

Famous People Who Journal

Journaling isn’t just for writers, poets and philosophers. In fact, lots of people do it—some you might even recognize from movies, TV, history and elsewhere. Here are a few people who have used journaling to enrich their lives and improve their careers. 

1. Leonardo da Vinci

The Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci kept extensive notebooks throughout his life, filled with sketches, scientific observations, and personal reflections. His journals provide valuable insights into his genius and creative process.

2. Oprah Winfrey

A woman so famous she only needs to go by her first name, Oprah began her journaling career at a young age. She remarks that her earliest musings were full of worries and anxieties, but that in later years, she transitioned to writing about her aspirations, dreams, goals and desires. 

3. Anne Frank

Anne Frank's diary, written during her time in hiding from the Nazis during World War II, is one of the most famous and poignant examples of journaling in history. Her journal, later published as "The Diary of a Young Girl," continues to inspire readers worldwide with its honesty and resilience.

4. Warren Buffett

One of the richest men to ever live, Warren Buffett keeps a journal and credits his success to its usefulness. Buffett claims that “writing will make you a better investor,” and advocates against taking humor, emotion and personal idiosyncrasies out of business—instead, people should rely on their truest selves, and how they express themselves in diary entries, to get at the heart of who they are and what they want. 

5. Virginia Woolf

The renowned British writer Virginia Woolf was an avid journal keeper, using her journals to explore her thoughts, feelings, and literary ideas. Her journals offer a glimpse into her creative process and inner world.

6. Mark Twain

The celebrated American author Mark Twain, known for classics like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," maintained a series of notebooks throughout his life. Twain's journals contain a mix of personal reflections, story ideas, and humorous anecdotes.

7. Frida Kahlo

The iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo kept a diary filled with her thoughts, dreams, and emotions. Her journals, adorned with sketches and paintings, offer an intimate look into her turbulent life and artistic vision.

8. Lady Gaga

Even superstars journal. Lady Gaga has gone on record saying that she brings her journal with her on tour to stay connected, clear and grounded amid the chaos of a busy schedule. Not only does Gaga write, but she also fills her diaries with drawings and sketches, and has created some interesting prompts for herself—such as writing letters between herself and her mother. 

9. Jennifer Aniston

“Friends” star Jennifer Aniston says she’s been writing in a journal since she was 13 years old. A famously private individual, Aniston likes having a place that’s all her own to express her thoughts, and finds journaling the perfect way to examine her romantic relationships, career goals and other reflections before being asked about them by media figures and journalism outlets. 

10. Emma Watson

The actress and activist Emma Watson has expressed her love for journaling in interviews. She values the practice to process her thoughts and experiences, both personally and professionally.

11. Ryan Gosling

Even comedic actors journal! Ryan Gosling has reportedly kept a journal since he was a teenager. He has spoken about the therapeutic benefits of journaling and how it helps him organize his thoughts and maintain a sense of clarity in his life.

12. Taylor Swift

If the biggest music star in the entire world can keep a journal, so can you. The singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has mentioned her admiration for journaling in various interviews and social media posts throughout her prolific career. She’s spoken about using journaling as a creative outlet and a way to document her life experiences and emotions—and it wouldn’t be too farfetched to guess that some of her lyrics were first penned in a journal before being recorded. 

13. Michelle Obama

The former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama has spoken about the importance of journaling as a tool for self-reflection and personal growth. In her memoir, "Becoming," she reflects on her experiences and insights. 

14. Chrissy Teigen

Model, television personality, and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen has been open about her love for journaling on social media. She has shared glimpses of her journal entries and expressed how writing helps her process her thoughts and emotions.

15. Hugh Jackman

Even the Wolverine journals! Actor Hugh Jackman has mentioned his journaling practice in interviews, describing it as a way to maintain balance and clarity amidst his busy schedule. He has spoken about the therapeutic benefits of journaling and its role in fostering mindfulness and gratitude in his life.

Why We Recommend Journaling

So, it’s time to answer the larger question: why did we decide to write up a list of journaling benefits and famous people who journal? Because it shows that journaling and success go hand in hand—by getting more clarity about your life, dreams, passions and aspirations, you’re far more likely to KNOW what you want, and GET what you want.

More than that, journaling helps you get at the core of your own beliefs, thoughts and TRUE desires in life. Instead of simply focusing on your day-to-day actions, journaling allows you to step back from your own routine and really process what you’re doing.

Is your current life bringing you peace? Ease? Happiness? Joy, exhilaration, wonder and fun? You might not know until you decide to give journaling a try. 

Journaling On Your Own VS With A Coach 

There are plenty of benefits to journaling on your own; journaling for your personal coach to read and respond to amplifies and speeds your progress. Imagine if you wrote in a secure online journal every day, and your coach offered feedback and guidance on each journal? Not only would you be in contact with your coach every single day for the duration of your coaching journey (as opposed to just having weekly coaching calls), when you hop on the phone with your coach, they can jump right into coaching you without using the whole call on life updates. 

That’s the Frame of Mind Coaching™ process: daily journaling coupled with weekly coaching calls. The result? Intense and rapid personal and professional growth. Click here to learn more about the role of journaling in our coaching approach.