Want to be a better writer? Keep a journal

Even if you do not want to write for a living, being able to communicate clearly in your written conversations is a skill that is still highly valued. People who express themselves clearly and to the point immediately appear more competent and professional. It is therefore a good idea to improve your writing skills when you get the opportunity, but where do you start, particularly given how busy our days are?

Well, since we already need to make a little space for quiet time in our daily lives, why not combine that with a writing exercise? I am of course talking about keeping a journal. While it may seem like something small, I have found it to be a great help to organize my thoughts and improve my writing.

Below are some of the ways in which keeping a journal really improved my writing and my understanding of myself.

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1. Be a better writer

I think that most of us would like to be able to write better, but this takes time and practice, while most of us just want to write when we are inspired. That is unfortunately not how it works. By committing to keeping a journal, you make a deal with yourself to write something every day. And in doing so, you will become a better writer. Keeping a journal means you have to organize your abstract thoughts into words. This is much harder than writing a company email. Therefore, keeping a journal may be one of the best writing exercises you can do.

2. Understand yourself

Most of us think that we know ourselves pretty well, but a journal may challenge your preconceptions. Journals often capture information about ourselves that we don’t normally think about. For instance, through keeping a journal, you may find that you feel unmotivated twice a month, or that there are certain thoughts that constantly pop in and out of your consciousness. By taking not of this, we can address the areas in our lives where we can approve, and challenge the things that scare us.

3. Keeping it positive

One thing we do too often, as far as I am concerned, is to dwell on negative thoughts of the past. This is not what a journal should be – a record of our failures and regrets. Therefore, whenever I had a bad experience in my day, I use the journal to write down what happened, and also three short ideas of how to deal with it. In this way, the journal is always about what is possible, and not that which feels beyond our control.

4. The power of the written word

One of the great things about a journal is that it holds you accountable. If you think about the things you want to do, they pop in and out of your head. But when you write them down, you have a much stronger sense that you need to commit to your goals. Because you are more beholden to the written word, you will also be more careful with the way you phrase your goals, to ensure they are clear and attainable. This too will aid you in becoming a better writer.

It takes hard work. But it’s worth the effort. And if it seems like an insurmountable task, there are some concrete things you can do today that will get you on the road to improvement.

Just because you want to emulate the great writers doesn’t mean you have to be exactly like them. Try out new things. Steal bits from other people. Experiment with your style, your voice, your mechanics, your themes. Try out new words. Invent new words. Experimentalize everything. And see what works, and toss out what doesn’t.

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