Journalling is writing.

But not all writing is journalling.

That might sound obvious, but the distinction matters.

When most people think about writing, they imagine creating something.

An article.

A story.

A book.

An email.

Something another person might eventually read.

Journalling can be different.

You don't necessarily journal to create something. You journal to explore something.

Writing Usually Has an Audience

Most everyday writing is communication.

You're trying to transfer something from your mind into someone else's.

That changes how you write.

You think about:

Even creative writing eventually has a potential reader.

You're turning thoughts into something another person can enter.

Journalling Can Have an Audience of One

A journal doesn't need to impress anyone.

It doesn't need to explain everything.

It doesn't need a clever opening.

It doesn't need a conclusion.

It doesn't even need to make sense to anyone except you.

And sometimes it doesn't need to make complete sense to you yet either.

You can use the page to work out what you think as you write.

Writing Often Begins With Something to Say

If you're writing an article, you usually have some idea of what it's about.

If you're writing an email, you know why you're sending it.

If you're writing a story, you probably have a character, situation, scene, or idea.

There is some kind of destination.

Journalling doesn't always need one.

You can begin with:

I don't really know what's on my mind today...

Then find out.

The writing itself can reveal the subject.

Journalling Is Often More Personal

Because nobody else needs to read your journal, you can write things you might never publish.

You can admit you're confused.

You can contradict yourself.

You can complain.

You can explore uncomfortable thoughts.

You can write about things you're embarrassed by.

You can ask questions you can't answer.

You don't need to present the best version of yourself.

A journal can be a place where you don't have to perform.

You Don't Need to Be a Writer to Journal

Some people are intimidated by writing because they don't consider themselves writers.

That doesn't matter when you're journalling.

You don't need a large vocabulary.

You don't need perfect grammar.

You don't need to understand story structure.

You don't need to know where commas go.

You aren't being graded.

If you can put your thoughts into words, you can journal.

Writing Often Gets Edited

Writing intended for other people usually goes through some kind of refinement.

You reread it.

You change sentences.

You remove unnecessary parts.

You correct mistakes.

You make the meaning clearer.

Journalling doesn't require any of that.

You can write something once and never look at it again.

The value may have been in writing it, not in what remains on the page.

A Journal Doesn't Have to Be a Diary

Journalling is often confused with keeping a diary.

A diary commonly records what happened.

Today I went here, saw this person, and did this...

That's one form of journalling.

But a journal can also be used to explore:

You don't have to record your day unless you want to.

Journalling Can Be Thinking on Paper

Thoughts inside your head can be slippery.

You think the same thing repeatedly.

You jump from one idea to another.

You forget where you started.

You reach a conclusion and then begin the whole mental conversation again.

Writing slows that process down.

The thought is now sitting in front of you.

You can respond to it.

You can question it.

You can follow it further.

Journalling gives your thoughts somewhere to land.

Journalling Doesn't Need to Be Deep

Not every journal entry needs to uncover some profound truth about your existence.

You can write:

I'm tired today and I really don't feel like doing much.

That's fine.

You can write about what you had for lunch.

You can make a list.

You can write three sentences and stop.

You can fill five pages.

There is no requirement to make journalling meaningful.

Sometimes meaning appears naturally.

Sometimes it doesn't.

Can Journalling Improve Your Other Writing?

It can.

When you journal regularly, you're practising putting thoughts into words.

You're also collecting material.

A personal observation might become an article.

A memory might become a story.

A question might become an essay.

A problem you work through might contain something useful for someone else.

Private writing can eventually feed public writing.

But it doesn't have to.

Your journal is allowed to remain yours.

The Same Words Can Be Both

The line between writing and journalling isn't always clear.

You might begin by journalling about something that happened to you.

Halfway through, you realise there's an interesting idea in it.

Later you take that idea and turn it into an article.

The first version helped you understand it.

The second version helped you communicate it.

Journalling can be where you discover what you have to say.

Writing can be where you shape that discovery for someone else.

Try the Difference Yourself

Choose something that's been on your mind recently.

First, Write for Someone Else

Imagine you're explaining the subject to another person.

Try to make it clear.

Give it some structure.

Think about what they need to understand.

Then, Write Only for Yourself

Forget the audience.

Write what you actually think.

Follow whatever appears.

Contradict yourself if necessary.

Ask questions.

Don't worry about reaching a conclusion.

Notice how different the two experiences feel.

One Is Not Better Than the Other

Writing for other people teaches you to communicate.

Journalling can help you reflect and explore.

You need clarity when communicating.

You don't always need clarity when you're still trying to find it.

That's one of the freedoms of journalling.

You can enter the page without knowing what you're going to find.

You don't need an audience.

You don't need a finished product.

You don't need anything worth publishing.

You just need somewhere to put your thoughts.