Every year on New Year’s Day I find myself in the same predicament while sitting in my childhood bedroom at my mom’s house. In this time capsule, I’m encapsulated by my 17-year-old self’s Harry Styles, Lorde, and Lady Bird posters which adorn the walls, I’m surrounded with a tangible connection to the person I once was. Sitting amongst the relics of my adolescent taste, my gaze is drawn to a brand-new Moleskine journal, pages blank and brimming with potential for self-discovery.
I’ve always hated setting New Year’s resolutions. The typical promises we make to ourselves at the turn of the year are doomed from the start. These undertakings are unrealistic, and often set us up for failure when we get discouraged by our perceived lack of progress.
None of that stops me from buying a new journal every year in hopes this will be the year I consistently engage in self-reflection.
With benefits ranging from improved mental health to enhanced self-awareness, it’s no wonder so many people aspire to keep a better log of their lives as a New Year’s resolution. Yet, traditional journaling—the act of regularly recording personal thoughts, feelings, experiences, and reflections in a written form—can be intimidating and daunting, leading many, myself included, to abandon the pursuit early on.
Journaling shouldn’t be a chore. If you find your journal blank after Jan. 1 but still want to embark on a meaningful journey of self-reflection, consider exploring alternative mediums to unleash your creativity and express your innermost thoughts.
For those who find the written word intimidating, video diaries are a great alternative. Speaking to a camera can feel more natural, allowing for a more fluid expression of thoughts and emotions. The visual element adds a personal touch, capturing moments and expressions words may fail to convey.
Whether it’s recounting the day’s events or reflecting on personal growth, pretend you’re on FaceTime with a close friend or even your future self 10 years from now, who may or may not be watching the video back.
If being in front of a camera isn’t your thing, voice memos are pretty much the same thing. With just a tap of a button, your thoughts and feelings can be recorded on the go. This approach may sound strange, and you may get a couple of funny looks if you’re recording yourself in public, but it’s perfect for those who love capturing a moment in real time.
If you still want to make use of your brand-new Moleskine, you can flex your visual arts muscles and use it for collaging. It doesn’t have to be pretty—my version of collaging consists of taping plane tickets, movie tickets, concert tickets, photographs, and other personal mementos into my journal.
It’s by no means the aesthetic collage journal you see all over Pinterest, but it works for me, which is all that matters at the end of the day.
You may wonder why I continue buying new journals when I know I’m going to abandon them the next day—especially when I just listed alternatives. Well, it’s because I still crave the physicality of a traditional journal, but I’m consumed by unrealistic expectations to have a Pinterest-worthy journal with flawlessly curated entries, capturing every detail with eloquence and clarity.
The first step to consistently journaling—something I’m still working on—is to throw out any expectations. Your journal isn’t going to look pretty or perfect, and you won’t have time to write every single day just how you wanted to, but that’s okay.
Our minds are a chaotic jumble of thoughts and ideas, and getting those onto paper is more than enough. The resulting pages may be messy, but they’re a true reflection of the raw and unfiltered self.
Much like my childhood bedroom, my journal is a time capsule, and yours should be too. It’s something to look back on in five, 10, 15, or 20 years and laugh about, cry about, or experience whatever emotions it may evoke.
It’s a journey through your personal evolution—a reminder of the challenges you overcame, and the moments that shaped you.
In the years to come, flipping through the pages of your journal or watching the videos of your past self will transport you back to moments of joy, sorrow, and everything in between.
It serves as a mirror reflecting specific layers of your identity, capturing the nuances of your character that have (hopefully) evolved over time. Whether sifting through eloquent prose or hastily scribbled notes, the entries are fragments of your authentic self and worth preserving.
So, if traditional journaling isn’t for you, know there’s a journaling method out there for everyone—one that can turn a blank page into a canvas for self-expression and growth.
Tags
Collaging, journaling, New year's resolutions, Video Diary
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