Diary entries are normally associated with the teenage years, scrawling down passages about you and your friends or your latest crush. However, diaries are not just for the besotted teenager – carry on reading if you’re interested in the traits of successful people who keep a regular diary.
1. They Practise Self-Discipline
Regular diary writing takes self-discipline and perseverance. There is no expectation for results, which some may find difficult as there isn’t any obvious success to show for their work. However, diaries can teach the art of discipline, writing regularly in order to look back on entries, rather than seeing results instantaneously.
2. They Use Diaries to Self-heal
There’s nothing more healing than spilling your feelings to a friend – however, sometimes we don’t want anyone else knowing our business, so what better way to self-heal than writing a diary. People who write regular diary entries become able to boost their own feelings, getting all their thoughts down onto a page in order to see perspective.
3. They are Confident
In being honest about how they’re feeling, people who write diaries are naturally very confident, particularly if they’re using an online diary for example. Even if no-one else is reading your diary, it is normal to feel a sense of determination, as having your feelings on a page can give you a sense of direction and courage in decision making.
4. They Have a Strong Focus on Ambition
People who write down their thoughts and feelings regularly tend to know where they’re going – perhaps they can see more clearly where they’ve gone wrong in life, and when they’ve been successful. Being able to look back on past thoughts and feelings can allow you direction and ambition in future ventures.
5. They are Motivated
Due to their confidence and ambition, people who keep diaries are usually motivated individuals who want to use their time wisely. Writing down your thoughts allows reflection, and can show how well you’re using your time, a great motivator for future aspirations.
6. They Always See Perspective
Keeping a diary certainly gives people perspective on life, as the ability to look back on your thoughts and experience gives you a refreshing outlook on life, in which you will never settle for anything.
7. They Can Link Their Past and Present (Woolf)
Being able to reflect on your past allows you to link it to your present. Famous for ‘stream of consciousness’ writing, Virginia Woolf has commented on her thoughts of a diary being a bridge between the future and the past.
8. They Keep Their Brains Uncluttered (Andre Gide)
Due to the chaotic nature of everyday life, some believe our brains can become cluttered, and an easy, acheivable way to ‘declutter’ your brain is to keep a diary. Writing down your thoughts can help to discover oneself and declutter the mind, as thought by the nobel laureate Andre Gide.
9. They Understand Their Own Emotions
Working through your feelings can very much help to understand them, seeing your emotions almost from an outside perspective. By taking a step back, your thoughts and feelings become more obvious, and it is easier to decipher the best way of dealing with them.
10. And Finally, They Have a Productive Way to End the Day
There’s nothing better than getting home from a long day and talking it through with someone – however, by keeping a diary you can manage your thoughts at any time, and can conclude your day by getting everything down on paper to clear your over-worked mind.
These traits are present in most people who keep diaries, and many of these may infact derive from keeping one. Give your mind some extra space by writing down your thoughts regularly – you may be pleasantly suprised at not only how much better your feel, but also how successful your other ventures are, just because you’ve given your mind a break.
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