It’s December! The month, when almost everyone begins to reflect back on the year. The realization, that an entire year has passed by, forces us to think about the things we did, the experiences we had and the lessons we learnt.
In this year (2022), there’s something I did, something that I experienced and there’s something that I have learnt, which I would like to share with you.
What I did.
In January 2022, I picked up the habit of writing a journal. I did not buy an expensive diary or waste money on fancy stationery.
I started off simple. A simple .txt notepad file on my laptop.
Inspired by the concept of the bullet journal, I started capturing my thoughts in small, concise statements. I started listing things, the tasks I had to finish, and a daily log.
All of this was done in small, concise, bullet points.
What I experienced.
As compared to traditional, long form journaling, bullet journaling felt easier and a lot lighter.
I experienced that, writing something down is the best way to capture our thoughts. It relieves the mind from the task of remembering things. I felt a sense of calmness within me. My mind and my heart felt a lot lighter.
Putting words down on a blank piece of paper or a blank word document, transforms our intangible thoughts into something tangible. When thoughts and ideas are captured in writing, it becomes easier for the brain to process it. Be it our thoughts, a random stream of consciousness or just a list of things to do. Writing things down helps in decluttering the brain, and gives a structure to our internal chaos.
I noticed that the act of writing somehow taps into the hidden recesses of our mind and extracts an insight that would not have been accessible by just sitting and thinking about something.
When faced with a challenge or a problem, writing it down helps us analyze the situation much better. Writing brings structure to our thoughts and thus, allows the brain to process this situation with a lot of clarity.
What I learnt.
The biggest learning from this practice would be that, writing and reasoning, go hand in hand. Writing is a tool to sharpen your thinking. The process of writing enables the brain to think clearly and understand deeply.
Writing, has taught me how to think.
I allow myself to write anything, it helps me in identifying the sharpness and dullness of my thoughts.
Recording my experiences in the form of writing has improved my problem solving skills. It is the method of compiling and curating a personal knowledge base, which acts as a personal users manual.
The practice of journaling helps us in reflecting back on our past self. It tells us how much we have grown as an individual, over a stretch of time. It reminds us of our past mistakes and teaches us not to repeat them again. It makes us feel grateful for life.
It’s December, and I encourage you to write!
