Keeping a Journal

I recently started a journal on my Iphone.  I know it sounds juvenile and you may think that it has nothing to do with fitness or weight loss.  If you just bear with me, I will explain why keeping a journal can help you understand downfalls, keep a record of your progress, and have any inspirational quotes to keep you motivated at the tip of your finger.  I started a journal on a Iphone application because let's face it!  Most of us now have our cell phones attached to us like a breathing tube, and most of us have a fancy "smart phone" that can do everything from changing your tv channel to tracking our (ahhem...) cycles.  I was able to find an application that has a passcode protected journal.  Here is an example of the program I have on my Iphone: Of course it isn't mine but an image found online that looks similar: 


Ok now to the part where I think that it is good for anyone to have a journal no matter what age they are.  All of us go through stress throughout our daily lives.  That stress builds up on top of itself until it seems hard to handle.  Well just like when we were teenagers, writing down what is going in our lives can help us let go of unnecessary stress, set goals for ourselves, and watch ourselves grow as an individual.  Just the other day I had dinner with a friend that I had not seen in a few weeks and she commented on how much I had changed in my demeanor and attitude.  Sometimes, we get so caught up in growing up that we lose track of the actual process of growing up.  Yes I know, I am 25 and most of you reading this are around the same age.  But we still grow everyday, and we mature with every event that happens in our lives. 

I have used this before:


Take this challenge.  Keep a journal for a year.  Don't say you don't have time.  Just put aside a few minutes a day, (like right after your bible study or when you put your little one down for their nap.)  It will only take a few minutes and depending on how your day has been going it can make you feel better.  Take time to reflect on the things going on in your life, how they affect you individually, how they affect your family as a whole.  Even keeping a journal and entering how much trouble you are having potty training your little one can help you.  Write in there when you are stressed about it, and a few hours or even days later, reread that entry and think about things that were important and how you can help your child understand what they need to be doing.  In a year just glance through your journal and I am sure you will be astounded at how much you have grown and changed through out that year.