You should keep a journal, I advise you so. Because it can bring you many benefits. Now let me share the benefits that journaling has brought me.

I started journaling in 2020. I no longer remember what prompted me to begin, but from that moment on, the idea of keeping a journal took root in my mind. From the very beginning, I abandoned traditional paper diaries and fully embraced digital journaling. I use plain text format (Orgmode) for my entries and maintain backups.

A journal is a way to build memories. The thoughts and reflections of the moment, recorded casually, become the sole truth when memory fails to recall them later. Memories fade with time, but if text is properly preserved, it will not be lost for a long time.

A journal is a great aid for reflection. Often we are lost in the midst of situations; looking back at what happened, we realize how we could have done better, making change easier.

A journal is a grave for pain. Much suffering cannot or should not be shared with others. Recorded in the journal and buried there, tomorrow brings a brand new me. Past pains are forgotten.

Journaling gives me a sense of groundedness, because I know what I did today—whether they were meaningless trivialities or new insights about life.

What the journal records is a more authentic self. Through it, I am able to face who I truly am.