In this blog post, I want to explore why I started journaling and what I see as the benefits of journaling about my life and my journey through it. As with many of the changes I have made to my life since I turned 50, it all started with the Pandemic.
The pivotal moment that changed the direction of my life was the launch of my blog, CTNET (Link to homepage). I was bored, and I had read some articles suggesting it as a good source of passive income.
While I haven’t made any real money yet, I have gained wealth in other ways during this part of my life journey. I have opened myself up to new ideas. I started reading nonfiction.
The very act of writing a regular blog post makes you think and process your ideas, encouraging my growth journey since October 2020.
Why I started journaling
I started journaling in May 2021 after reading a series of self-help books that described its potential benefits. Journaling gives you the opportunity to unload your thoughts and concerns, which can help your mental health and free up space in your mind for new thoughts and ideas.
It started out as an experiment on Notion, an application I was using at that time. I started keeping a journal every day, a habit I have kept going for almost four years. I must be getting something out of it.
My journaling method
My journaling method has changed over the years, and I will link to other posts in the recommended reading section that relate to other parts of my journey.
In 2025, my journaling method is a hybrid of using the bullet journal method in a physical notebook. I find it a great way of capturing ideas and thoughts quickly.
I often use it in the morning to do a brain dump, capturing any ideas or thoughts I may have to clear my mind.
I will also try to brainstorm most mornings. I try to capture 10 ideas in every brainstorming session; this is difficult, and mostly, that aspiration isn’t met. I see it as an exercise of my thinking and idea-creation capabilities.
I also find it a quick and easy way to capture an idea or something I must do when focusing on something such as writing. It is something I can do quickly with little thought, making it easier to keep my mind focused on what I was working on at the time.
I also keep a long-form journal, which I have been keeping since May 2021, in addition to my bullet journal.
My long-form journal is a digital journal; a new journal entry is created daily from a journal template.
The template populates the journal with a few check boxes for things I would like to get in the habit of doing, allowing me to track what is working and where the failures are.
I also have a section that I use to write about what I have been doing and any thoughts and ideas I have. This allows me to explore my thoughts, ideas, and feelings. On occasions, these thoughts will lead to an idea that will go into my Zettelkasten or a project for me to work on.
The impact of journaling on my life
A journal isn’t just a good place to capture new ideas and thoughts for now. It allows you to track your journey over time and see how you have grown and developed as a human being over that time.
When I look back at my earlier entries, I find it quite inspiring to see how I have grown over the last four years.
My daily journal also plays a role in my larger planning and review regime as it feeds into my weekly review. It helps me reflect on how things have gone and identify any lessons I can learn from what happened during the week, which I would have already written about in my daily journal.
A journal also gives you a safe space to write your most intimate thoughts, allowing you to clear your mind, which you may find beneficial.
Integrating journaling with other aspects of my life
The biggest impact journaling has had on my life is having a place to capture my ideas, as they are the lifeblood of a blogger and writer like myself.
With my system, I can capture ideas on the go by capturing them into Obsidian on my mobile phone. While at home, I normally capture ideas in my bullet journal as it is the quickest way to capture my ideas.
Journaling, along with meditation, allows me to spend at least part of each day in the moment, appreciating where I am at this very moment of my life, appreciating it, and taking stock of where I am. This gives me the opportunity to reflect, learn, and hopefully grow as an individual, something which is becoming increasingly important to me.
So why don’t you try journaling and join me and many others who have kept journals at some point in their lives?
Further reading
How does keeping a bullet journal fit in with my digital systems
Why I used Notion as my daily journal and why I switched to Obsidian
Unlocking your potential: The benefits of a morning routine
My review process
Why I wish I had read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations as a teenager
Introductory guide to Zettelkasten