Do you keep a journal? Or, have you kept a journal in the past? If so, you probably know the benefits of journaling. But for those of you who have never kept a journal – why not?

Perhaps you think of a journal as more of a diary – and it can be. But it doesn’t have to be just that. Journals have many benefits and can really help you with things that are happening in your life on a daily basis.

• You Can Write Down Your Ideas: Have you ever had a brilliant idea pop into your mind and then forgot about it later? Don’t let that happen. Carry your journal with you at all times so you can capture those ideas as they occur. Even if you don’t have a lot of time to go into a lot of detail, be sure to jot down the idea. That way, you can always come back to it later and expand upon it.
• You Can Contemplate Problems: When you are faced with a problem, how do you tackle it? Do you talk it out with friends or family? Or, do you prefer to handle it yourself? And if you choose to handle it yourself, how do you figure out the solution? Writing in a journal may help you deal with the issue and come up with a solution – or even multiple solutions – that can resolve it. You can write down questions related to the problem and then find the answers.
• You Can Track Your Successes and Failures: If you were to talk to some of the most successful people in their fields, no matter what field it is, you will find that they chronicle their successes and failures – often in a journal. You can write down the things you have done well and brought your victories – being sure to include the steps you took to get there. And, you can reflect on failures and what led to those failures. In turn, this will, hopefully, lead to more success in your future.
• You Can Create Plans: A journal is an ideal place to create plans – whether big or small. It can be as simple as a dinner party or a vacation, or plans for your career or a new business venture. Here you can record strategies that will help your plans succeed and chart a course for long and short-term goals.
• You Can Share Your Dreams: Have you ever had a dream? A dream of doing something, creating something, meeting someone – whatever the dream – that seemed so crazy and unobtainable that you didn’t want to share it with others because they might call you silly or tell you that you’ll never do it? Share it in your journal. Use your journal as a place where you can share your dream and then create an action plan to help make it a reality.
• You Can Make Decisions: If you’ve ever faced a tough decision, you know that making a pro and con list can be very helpful. It allows you to create a fairly objective list and then make a decision based on this list. A journal is a great place for recording your pros and cons.
• You Can Record Daily Events: A journal can be just that – a journal. You can use it to chronicle your daily actions and events. It can be a place where you write to-do lists. 
• You Can Express Gratitude: If you’re working to be more grateful for the things in your life, share that gratitude in your journal. You can set aside some time each week to reflect on what you are thankful for.

If you decide to take up journaling, these are just some of the many benefits and uses for it. You can find that you improve your thought process and clarify things in your life by simply writing it down. And, it’s a great way to go back and look at things from the past.