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# Why Journal?
- URL: https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/why-journal/
- Published: 2011-04-04T04:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2011-04-04T04:00:00.000Z
- Author: CJ Chilvers
- Tags: writing, gtd, Productivity

[Dave Caolo](http://52tiger.net/?ref=cjchilvers.com), writer/curator of nerdery, prompted me to elaborate on the advantages of journaling for writers, after my review of [Day One](https://www.cjchilvers.com/journal/day-one.html).

I’ve been writing for some kind of publication for 24 years. I write 8 hours a day professionally and about 1 or 2 hours for pleasure. But I know that if I could squeeze in another hour, I’d be a little better. Journaling is a small part of that 1 or 2 hours of writing for pleasure.

I can’t say what it’ll do for you, but, for me, journaling:

- Clears my head of the dozens of unresolved ideas that have gathered throughout the day, which gets me to sleep faster.
- Allows me to ask myself questions, which usually resolves big issues, without needing to hire a consultant or search for an expert (which is what “busy” professionals do today instead of just focusing on a problem that may be slightly painful).
- Gives me an excuse to write out everything I’m grateful for happening on that day. This is biggie - gratitude is the most effective solution I’ve found to combat negativity, fear and anxiety. There’s always something to be grateful for during the course of a day.

Above all, the most important reason to journal can be summed up by Socrates:

> “The unexamined life is not worth living.”