When you think of a journal, do you think of a beautiful leather bound notebook full of immaculate entries covering different aspects of your life, with writing that is so perfect it’s almost calligraphy?
You may see that in the movies or on TV, but in the real world, most journals are far from perfect. Even those examples that you see on Pinterest have been staged. So consider this post a permission slip to create your own, perfectly imperfect journal.
Why is this important?
Well, having permission to be imperfect, whether it’s for your journaling habit or life in general does 3 things.
1. It reduces your levels of anxiety
When you stop trying to be perfect, and instead just be yourself, you become free to try new things and make mistakes. When you’re worrying about what you write and whether it’s creative enough, wordy enough or has enough clever words, then you can relax and start to enjoy the process. The word will start to flow instead of being edited or censored even before they hit the page.
2. You start to write more
When you stop worrying about what to write, and just write, you’ll naturally write more. There maybe spelling mistakes and your grammar may not be perfect, but that’s ok. If you make a spelling mistake, then cross it out. If your grammar reflects how you talk then that’s fine. And if you page isn’t lines of perfectly written text that your old English teacher would be proud of, then that’s ok.
When it comes to your journal, no-one is looking over your shoulder to see if it’s perfect, so just let it be.
3. Your journal becomes more personal
When you start writing as you the person not you the person you project, then your journal becomes the place where you can be you. You can add doodles, and colour and images and whatever else you want. You can start to have fun with your journal, and when you do, it becomes something taht you look forward to doing, not a chore that you have to do because someone recommended it.
So, next time you get your journal out, give yourself permission to be you. Leave your inner critic at the door and write what you want, and how you feel. And then see what happens.