By David Yagudayev, Science and Technology Editor
When I was in 4th grade, I began my first journal. It was filled to the brim with incoherent entries and writing that was, quite honestly, horrific. It all started when one of my teachers assigned an in-class journal assignment. After the course concluded, I decided to continue writing in it as a way for my future self to be able to look back at the day-to-day and drama of my past and see if I achieved the goals that I had written down all those years ago.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t very consistent whatsoever and sometime before high school, I completely stopped writing in the journal. I left it sitting in my drawer for many years before picking it up again years later. My entries were muddled, silly, naive and filled with dreadful spelling and grammar errors. Despite the complete foolishness of those entries in the eyes of anyone else, to me it was gold.
It was my private reservoir of emotions and ideas that helped unlock memories of events long forgotten. Words and inside jokes that only I, the writer, could comprehend after all those long years untouched. The entries put a smile on my face and helped me remember the many ups and downs I experienced during my younger school years.
This past summer, I started a new journal, Vol. 2. Every journal is unique, and people approach theirs differently. I attempt to write in it a few times a week before I go to bed, and I let the pen guide my hand. Some days, I don’t have any inspiration to write whatsoever and look up a journal prompt and go from there. There is no minimum or maximum length required, and I make sure to be my most authentic self in my writing. Every evening is a unique and exciting experience.
There is something amazing and inherently special about keeping a journal. It’s my safe of emotions, a place where I can conduct meaningful and deep introspection. Journaling allows one’s most authentic self to be expressed. It does not matter whether I had a difficult, boring, happy, or action-packed day: it all goes into the journal. Deep down in my heart, I know there will be a time when the rough patch passes, and an amazing journal entry will be recorded once more.
Keeping a journal has also been a primary source of growth for me. I am able to coherently express my thoughts and better follow strands of logic, helping me to address whatever anxieties I may have in addition to strategically tackling whatever goal or task lies before me. Journaling has also enabled me to be more disciplined. Spending every evening writing a journal entry is slowly becoming an ingrained habit, akin to going to the gym or davening at a set time with a minyan.
It is a museum displaying my past experiences, ideas and emotions. Although memories can be stored through film and many other mediums, words cannot be replaced.
As the days go on and ever-growing responsibilities consume our lives, human memory sometimes becomes limited, and people often forget things, especially details. Reading back through my journal reawakens some of these memories in their most pristine form. Sometimes, it serves as a great source of inspiration. I remember where I came from, what challenges I faced and overcame, and how much I learned. It reminds me of how much I achieved and how much more there is to accomplish.
What makes a journal even more meaningful is that it is completely personalized to you. If anyone else in the world were to read what I wrote, they would not understand it. Sure, they would get a surface-level read, but nothing more. They wouldn’t understand the context, hinted sequences of events, the references I make, or the mix of languages I occasionally employ in my writing. Nor would anyone be able to understand the underlying meaning behind those words as well as I do.
It is an entirely selfish work with no intended audience other than myself. It may seem foolish to spend time writing about experiences and ambitions in a place only designed for yourself. However, this is the journal’s very purpose. It is a vessel through which you can better explore and understand yourself and your logical processes. There are no limits or barriers to what you can or cannot write. There are no formalities or MLA guidelines that you must follow. It is whatever you feel at the moment. Existential questions, creative futuristic ideas and mundane activities have all made it into my journal.
I hope to continue journaling for the rest of my life. Despite only starting to journal again since the end of summer, the benefits have been indelible to me, and I have gained so much from the experience. So, whether you enjoy writing or not, consider journaling.
It’s a remarkable, inexpensive, humanizing, no-pressure oasis where you can store your memories, experience self-growth, be creative, produce innovative ideas, and inspire yourself to be the best version of yourself. Oftentimes, many people look to outside sources for inspiration, validation and self-improvement, such as social media. But sometimes, the real growth is not looking outward, but rather inward. Journaling can perhaps be that resource for you as it has been for me.