We All Need An Evening Of Reflection
From The Pen's Nib: Edition 71
Topics: Journaling Methods and The Journaling Habit
“And such a mind as I have! So exacting & exclusive & eager & head long - & strong & so very very often wrong!” -Elizabeth Barrett (Browning)
Browning wrote these words in her diary on June 4, 1831. They sum up my journey of giving journaling advice.
First, I was adamant that everyone should keep a daily gratitude journal (From The Pen’s Nib: Edition 41). Now I know daily gratitude is not for everyone. Maybe occasional gratitude is better.
Then, I insisted you journal in the morning (last week’s newsletter). That’s easy to say for someone like me who is not getting kids off to school or, at this point, rushing off to a job.
As Browning wrote above, I can be very, very often wrong. Because now I’m going to tell you about how important evening journaling has become to me.
I need to reflect on my day and capture it’s memories.
Reflection helps me with the how and why of the day’s events and feelings. I delve into this more on some days than others. This is how I clarify what I have learned and what I can do to avoid, repeat, or increase the end result in the future. Some days I ask myself, “What the hell happened today?!” Other days, my thoughts go to, “How can I can I make this happen more often?” I don’t always have an answer, however writing helps put it in perspective.
Capturing memories has become more important the older I get. I want to remember stories and tell them to my children and grandchildren. When I look back on the years I was raising my boys, I think there must be stories to tell. Yet, I seem to remember so few. Now I try to capture memories of the past when they pop into my head. I also write the details of one thing I want to remember from each day. Each day we are creating stories with our actions and words.
My days often inspire topics for one or both of my newsletters, like this edition. If I don’t capture those thoughts in the evening, they may be gone the next morning.
Gratitude, morning journaling, or evening journaling, if you can do them all, that’s great. If you can do just one, that’s great, too. But like I’ve written so many times before, you really have to find what works for you.
Takeaways:
Journaling in the evening allows you to reflect on your day.
Evening reflection helps clarify the hows and whys of the day’s events.
You can capture detailed stories from the day that you want to remember.
If you journal, try this prompt:
Here are the details of one thing I want to remember from today.
What do you journal in the evening? Leave a comment, and let’s start a conversation.
Thank you for reading. Keep on writing!
Until next time,
✍️ Susan
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📸I love adding visual interest to my journal. The same is true for my newsletters. Each week will feature a picture I have taken corresponding with the month the edition is published, unless otherwise noted. I’ve taken daily pictures since 2020. I have many to share!
📰From The Pen’s Nib is my second newsletter. My first, Take Pen to Paper, is about gratitude and the good in life. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. It may be for you.