Topic: Journaling Misconceptions and Methods
I’m not sure if focused journaling is a true method or one I made up, but it is simply focusing your journaling on a specific aspect of your life.
Focused journaling brings up a misconception that I have heard from others, which is repetition. The misconception is that writing the same thoughts is not journaling or not useful in journaling.
This is wrong for two reasons.
The first is that journaling your thoughts at any moment, even if you thought and recorded them in another entry, is still journaling. Journaling is not a game in which you get points for thinking of something new to write.
Second, repetition has a place in journaling. We follow routines in our lives that naturally repeat our actions. That repetition will come out when you are writing. It helps us identify patterns. It’s how we learn about ourselves and our world.
Repetition can be purposeful. Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations is an example of this.
If you read Meditations, you can’t help but notice how often Aurelius repeats his thoughts. He is aware of this. In Meditations, 5:16*, he writes:
The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.
Robin Waterfield footnotes in his 2021 edition**, “Hence the frequent repetitiousness of the notebooks: Marcus is attempting to dye his mind with valuable precepts.”
Aurelius did this throughout Meditations for moral and Stoic themes, which he wished to carry with him as he moved through each day.
Remember, Aurelius didn’t write Meditations as a philosophy manual and did not see himself as a philosopher. He studied the great philosophers and wanted to embody what their lessons taught him. With that in mind, it makes sense that his writing focuses on how he could accomplish that. You won’t see dates, places, or names (except for one book on gratitude to those in his life). It is strictly focused on what he should do to be the best he can be, hence, focused journaling.
What does this mean to you?
Focused journaling may be just the thing for you. Go ahead and repeat to your heart’s content. There is no judging. You may find repetition beneficial. You may find it difficult. You will see repetitions as you write, but there is nothing wrong with them. You may want to have a journal dedicated to a singular aspect of your life.
Reading Meditations will help you get a complete picture of how Marcus Aurelius used repetition in his journals. Either edition of Meditations mentioned in my sources is a good place to start. The Wakefield 2024 edition is footnoted if you want to know more about when Aurelius lived. The Hayes 2003 edition is strictly a translation.
Takeaways:
Repetition is a natural component of journaling.
Repetition of ideas and actions helps you solidify the mindsets you want to reflect daily.
Meditations is an example of a purposeful journal that uses repetition.
If you journal, try this prompt:
What aspect of my life could I dedicate part or all of my journaling?
Have you read Meditations? Did it make you reflect on your journaling? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment, and let’s start a conversation.
Thank you for reading. Keep on writing!
Until next time,
✍️ Susan
Sources:
*Translation and Introduction by Gregory Hayes, 2003, edition
**Translation, Introduced, and Edited by Robin Wakefield, 2024 edition
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Items of interest:
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