This month, I’ve been writing about journaling, however, some people aren’t really sure what the difference between a diary and a journal is. So let’s clear that up today.
Whilst a journal and a diary are very similar, and some people use those words interchangeably, they are very different beasts. So whilst they have many similarities, when you want to develop a journaling practice, you really need to understand the differece.
What is a diary?
- it’s a tool in the form of a book or something similar whereby what you write about are important events that day
- it’s also used to keep track of things over time like a food diary, where you record your food intake to learn what works and what doesn’t
- it isn’t used to explore your feelings. When you have a diary, there’s usually no space for this.
What is a journal?
Journal comes from the French word , meaning “daily”.
A journal is much more detailed than a diary. It’s about what’s going on underneath.
A journal allows you to explore, analyse and evaluate what’s going on around you and how you feel about it. It’s usually blank with lots of writing space.
When you think of a gratitue journal for example, whilst you’re writing a list of what you’re grateful for that day, you’re exploring the idea of what you have to be thankful for, and as you do this each day, you develop a greater depth of understanding of all the good stuff in your life.
What should you use?
To be honest, it’s up to you, but you may find a combination suits you.
When you write in the morning, you may set out your goals for the day and think about why they are importnat to get done. If you write in the evening, it maybe to process your day.
For me, the main benefit of journaling is about self-discovery and growth, and to do that you need to do more than scratch the surface.
As you keep your journal and practice writing in it, you’ll find your own balance of what works for you.
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Don’t forget, you can join my 30 day journaling challenge any time and if you’re looking for a journal to write in, then I’ve created one or two on Amazon.