You Don’t Have to Be Perfect When Journaling
Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Some of the links below are affiliate links meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you purchase something using the link. Read the full disclaimer policy here.
The reason why journaling is so versatile and can benefit everyone is that it isn’t about perfection or doing it right. It is about the journey and what you choose to get out of it that’s going to make it worthwhile.
Your Journal is for Your Eyes Only
I can’t emphasize this enough…if you don’t keep that in mind, your journaling won’t be as effective.
There is no reason to be perfect in your journal since you are the only one who will ever read it. You might have this fear in the back of your mind that someone might stumble upon it, which can cause you to be careful what you write about. If you make sure it’s private and kept in a secret place, you suddenly don’t care about perfection or even when you choose to write.
Mistakes Reveal a Lot About You
What you might consider mistakes in your journal can actually say a lot about you as a
person and your stage in life. This includes something as subtle as how many times you cross out a word and replace it with another. Another “mistake” could be if you have a lot of spelling errors (or if you even care) and what you write with. The answer is in the details, but the best thing you can do is just accept your errors and move on.
Reflect on Different Phases of Your Life – The Good and the Bad
You also don’t have to be positive and upbeat all the time, but you also don’t have to use journaling only for venting. Journaling isn’t just about what you get out of it right now in the moment. It will be more important later when you reflect on where you were and read older journal entries. Your journal can take you right back to those moments. When you don’t focus on perfection and instead just write in the moment, it helps a lot with being able to reflect and find clarity.
Stop Following Arbitrary Rules
Stop with the rules! This is so frustrating because when people think there are guidelines to journaling, they don’t get a lot out of it and usually give up. There is no right or wrong way to journal. It is putting your thoughts or ideas onto paper, and that’s all there is to it.
For your eyes only! No journaling perfection!
Loving Life — The Reboot!
Dominique