How to Journal (Like a Philosopher)

Summary

This video script offers a simple three-step guide to starting a journaling practice, emphasizing finding a preferred journal and writing instrument, and making writing a daily habit. It addresses the common question of what to write about by suggesting a structured approach: recount a notable event, reflect on personal achievements and areas for improvement, and consider how the event fits into the larger narrative of one's life. The script also delves into the philosophical underpinnings of journaling as a means of self-improvement and constructing a coherent personal narrative, aligning with the views of philosophers who see storytelling as a fundamental human trait.

Takeaways

• 📓 Start Journaling: The process of starting a journaling habit involves three simple steps: choosing a journal, finding a preferred writing instrument, and making a habit of writing regularly.
• ✍️ Overcoming Writer's Block: When struggling to write, a reliable structure can be followed, which includes writing about a notable event, something done well, and areas for improvement.
• 📅 Reflecting on Daily Events: Journaling should include a factual account of a significant event from the day or the previous day, helping to focus on notable occurrences.
• 🏆 Celebrating Achievements: A journal entry should also highlight something the writer is proud of, such as an achievement or a success, to foster a sense of accomplishment.
• 🚫 Identifying Failures: It's important to recognize and write about what did not go well, using it as an opportunity to identify problem areas and areas for self-improvement.
• 🔍 Analyzing the Bigger Picture: After detailing events and personal growth, the writer should reflect on how the event fits into the larger narrative of their life, seeking coherence and internal logic.
• 📚 Philosophical Perspective: The act of journaling is tied to the philosophical view that humans are storytelling beings, constructing narratives about themselves to find meaning and coherence in life.
• 🧠 Active Self-Authorship: Journaling is a way to take an active role in authoring one's life story, moving beyond habitual living and reflecting intentionally on personal experiences.
• 📖 Ethical Consideration: Journaling can be seen as a practice of ethical self-reflection, aligning with ancient philosophical thought that emphasizes the importance of understanding one's life as a whole for achieving happiness.
• 🌟 Personal Growth: The script suggests that journaling is not just about documenting life but also about personal growth, using the practice to actively shape one's narrative and work towards self-improvement.
• 📝 Consistent Practice: The key to successful journaling is making it a regular practice, which over time can provide insights and a deeper understanding of one's life journey.

Q & A

What are the three basic steps to start journaling according to the transcript?

The three basic steps to start journaling are: 1) Get a journal that you like; 2) Find a writing instrument that you enjoy using, such as a fountain pen; 3) Make a habit of writing, either daily or when you feel like it.

What is the recommended structure to follow when journaling if you're struggling to write?

The recommended structure includes writing a paragraph about an event that happened that day or the day before, a paragraph about something you did well, a paragraph about what did not go well, and then reflecting on the bigger picture to fit the event into a larger narrative about your life.

What is the purpose of writing about an event that happened during the day in your journal?

Writing about an event serves as a factual account of something notable in your life, allowing you to reflect on and document significant moments or experiences.

Why is it important to write about something you did well in your journal?

Writing about achievements or successes helps you to recognize and feel proud of your accomplishments, reinforcing positive habits and behaviors.

How does writing about what did not go well in your journal serve as an opportunity for self-improvement?

It allows you to identify problem areas, besetting vices, or bad habits that you want to improve or break, providing a space for introspection and planning for change.

What is the significance of reflecting on the bigger picture when journaling?

Reflecting on the bigger picture helps you to find internal logic and coherence in your life story, allowing you to construct a narrative that gives meaning to your experiences.

What philosophical perspective does the speaker mention regarding persons as storytelling beings?

The philosophical perspective mentioned is that persons are primarily storytelling beings, constructing and telling a narrative about themselves, which is a key aspect of self-identity and coherence.

How does journaling relate to the concept of 'making sense of one's life as a whole'?

Journaling provides a reflective practice that allows you to consider your life as a whole, examining the development and direction of your life, which is essential for personal satisfaction and happiness.

What is the connection between journaling and the ancient philosophical concept of eudaimonia?

Journaling is connected to eudaimonia, or human flourishing, as it involves reflective work on one's life, which ancient philosophers like Aristotle considered central to achieving happiness.

Why does the speaker suggest taking an active role in the construction of your life story through journaling?

Taking an active role in constructing your life story through journaling allows you to be intentional about your narrative, breaking routine and habit, and shaping a more meaningful and coherent life experience.

What is the recommended approach if you are struggling to get started with journaling?

The recommended approach is to follow the format of writing about an event from your day, something you're proud of, areas for improvement, and then placing it in the larger context of your life to create a personal narrative.

Outlines

00:00

📓 Starting a Journaling Practice

This paragraph introduces the simplicity of starting a journaling habit, outlining three basic steps: choosing a journal, selecting a preferred writing instrument, and making writing a daily habit. It also addresses the common question of what to write about in a journal and introduces the concept of a guide to journaling, which will be discussed in the video. The speaker shares their personal preference for fountain pens and emphasizes the importance of writing regularly to foster self-improvement and explore the philosophy behind journaling.

05:02

🤔 Overcoming Writer's Block in Journaling

The speaker discusses a reliable structure to follow when struggling with what to write in a journal. This involves writing a factual account of a notable event from the day, reflecting on an achievement or success, identifying areas for improvement or failures, and considering the broader narrative of one's life. The paragraph provides a personal example of a stressful work event that was resolved and how the speaker used it to practice problem-solving and break down issues. The goal is to use journaling as a tool for self-reflection and personal growth, identifying habits and thought processes that can be improved.

🧐 The Narrative of Self-Improvement

This paragraph delves into the philosophy of journaling as a means of constructing one's life narrative. It references various philosophers who view humans as storytelling beings and the importance of actively participating in the creation of one's life story. The speaker shares their approach to journaling as a practice to take a more intentional role in authoring their own life narrative. The paragraph also touches on the work of ethicist Julia Annas and the concept of making sense of one's life as a whole, linking journaling to the pursuit of happiness and human flourishing.

Keywords

💡Journaling

Journaling refers to the practice of regularly writing down one's thoughts, experiences, and reflections in a journal. In the video script, journaling is the central theme, with the speaker discussing the process of starting a journaling habit and its benefits for self-improvement and personal narrative construction.

💡Fountain pens

Fountain pens are a type of pen that uses a nib and feeds ink through a nib and a reservoir. The speaker mentions fountain pens as their preferred writing instrument for journaling, suggesting a personal preference that adds a touch of elegance or tradition to the journaling process.

💡Habit

A habit is a routine behavior that tends to occur subconsciously. The script emphasizes making journaling a habit, suggesting that writing regularly, ideally every day, can lead to a more consistent and beneficial journaling practice.

💡Self-improvement

Self-improvement involves personal development and striving to become a better version of oneself. The video discusses journaling's relationship to self-improvement, indicating that the act of writing can help individuals reflect on their actions and identify areas for growth.

💡Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and language. The script touches on the philosophical underpinnings of journaling, particularly the idea that journaling helps in constructing a narrative about oneself, which is a concept explored by various philosophers mentioned.

💡Narrative

A narrative is a story or account of events and experiences, often constructed in a linear fashion. The video script discusses the importance of creating a personal narrative through journaling, which helps in making sense of one's life and experiences.

💡Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. The speaker uses their own experience with anxiety as an example of something they reflect on in their journal, aiming to understand and manage it better.

💡Eudaimonia

Eudaimonia, also known as 'human flourishing', is a Greek term often translated as 'happiness' or 'well-being' and is central to ancient ethical theories. The script mentions eudaimonia in the context of the goal of ethics and how journaling can contribute to achieving this state of well-being through reflection.

💡Reflective work

Reflective work involves introspection and contemplation on one's actions, thoughts, and experiences. The video emphasizes the importance of reflective work in achieving happiness and personal growth, which is facilitated by the act of journaling.

💡Author

An author is the creator of a written work. In the context of the video, the speaker expresses a desire to be the author of their own life story, using journaling as a tool to take an active role in shaping and understanding their personal narrative.

💡Coherence

Coherence refers to the state of forming a united or logical whole. The script discusses the pursuit of coherence in one's life narrative, suggesting that journaling helps in organizing and making sense of various life events and experiences.

Highlights

Starting journaling is simple and involves three basic steps: getting a journal, choosing a preferred writing instrument, and making a habit of writing.

The author prefers Lloyds terms soft covers for journals and fountain pens for writing.

A reliable journaling structure includes writing about an event, something done well, what didn't go well, and the bigger picture.

Writing about a notable event from the day helps in reflecting on personal experiences.

The author shares an example of a stressful work event that was resolved through investigation and problem-solving.

Journaling about achievements or small victories can foster a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Identifying areas for improvement through journaling can help in recognizing and breaking bad habits or vices.

The author's personal struggle with anxiety is used as an example to illustrate the process of self-improvement through journaling.

Zooming out to consider the bigger picture in journaling allows for understanding life events within a larger narrative.

Philosophers view humans as storytelling beings, constructing narratives about ourselves as we live.

The author emphasizes the importance of taking an active role in constructing one's life narrative through journaling.

Journaling is presented as a practice to intentionally and actively author one's life story.

Julia Annas' concept of making sense of one's life as a whole is discussed in relation to journaling.

Ancient ethics, as discussed by Annas, begins with the question of life satisfaction and the pursuit of happiness or eudaimonia.

Reflective work, such as journaling, is essential for achieving happiness and human flourishing according to ancient philosophers.

The author recommends trying the suggested journaling format to overcome struggles in getting started with the practice.

Transcripts

so if you want to start journaling it's

actually pretty simple there are

basically three steps first just get a

journal find one that you like I like

these Lloyds terms soft covers lately

second get a pin that you like to write

with I really like fountain pens but you

should just pick whatever works for you

and third the step is to just write make

a habit of it try to write every day if

you can and if you can't write every day

just write when you feel like it it

really is that simple but every time I

talk about journaling on this channel I

get one question over and over what do

you write about so in this video I'm

going to give you a guide to journaling

I'm going to tell you what to do when

the words aren't flowing and along the

way I am going to talk about

journaling's relationship to

self-improvement which is one reason so

many of us journal and also the

philosophy behind it all if I'm

struggling to write I found that there

is a reliable structure that I can

follow that lets me write about a Page's

worth of content First I write a

paragraph about something that happened

that day or if I'm journaling in the

morning something that happened the day

before this is a purely factual account

I'm just writing about some event in my

life something that was notable I'm

being selective here I'm not writing

about everything that happened to me and

I am not aiming for this to be a

comprehensive account of my entire day

so as an example a few days ago I was

writing in my journal about something

that happened at work basically this

event occurred it the details don't

really matter for this video but it was

something that I found very stressful

but it turned out to be a

misunderstanding on my part so I was

able to get it resolved but it took a

little bit of time and there was some

stress for me until it was resolved that

was a notable enough event that I

decided to write about it in my journal

so after I've written my factual account

of the event in my life I then try to

write about something that I did well

this is something I can feel proud of

this is an achievement or a little bit

of a success a small victory or even

just an instance where I was able to

reliably fall back on a habit that I've

built up over time to go back to my

example I wrote about how when the

problem arose I was able to investigate

it and I was able to actually figure out

what I would need to do to solve the

problem now because it turned out it was

a misunderstanding I didn't actually

have to do much but what I was proud of

was that I broke the problem up into

some smaller problems and started

solving the most important ones after

I've written that paragraph I write a

paragraph about what did not go well

this is an opportunity for me to

identify problem areas in my life to

identify places where I want to improve

these can be besetting vices so the

sorts of mistakes that I make over and

over again or it could be bad habits

that I've cultivated that I want to try

and break so I'm someone who's prone to

anxiety and when a problem arises I tend

to spiral for a little bit I can usually

then collect myself and solve the

problem but I always go through that

anxiety spiral and I want to stop doing

that so I try and identify times when I

let my anxiety get the best of me and

then I try and think about how I can

avoid that what are the conditions that

make me more anxious or what is the

thought process that my anxiety always

seems to follow because one very

effective technique for combating

anxiety is figuring out where the

anxious mind goes wrong and actually

being able to reason with yourself so

far I have written about an event I have

written about something I'm proud of and

something that I'm not proud of a

success and a failure but after that

there is still something else worth

writing and that is when I try and zoom

out and think about the bigger picture

this part really isn't a paragraph it

can sometimes just be a paragraph but it

often extends to pages on those days

when I have a lot to think about what

I'm really trying to do is figure out

what this event has in common with other

events in my life or really I am trying

to fit this event into a larger

narrative about my life I am giving a

sort of internal logic to my life story

and I am using my journal as an

opportunity to do that let's talk a

little bit more about this in the

philosophy behind it many philosophers

just to name a few Charles Taylor

Aleister McIntyre Mario sheckman uh

Martin Heidegger there are many others

but those are some notable names they

think of persons as primarily

storytelling beings so what makes us

persons as opposed to Mere animals is

that we are able to construct and tell a

narrative about ourselves it's not as if

we all have a formal narrative written

down despite being someone who has

consistently journaled for about a

decade it's not like I have written an

autobiography of myself and even those

who write autobiographies don't write

totally comprehensive accounts of their

lives but as we live our lives we are

thinking about how events relate to one

another we are finding the logic in it

we are looking for coherence and we are

placing them in a more or less linear

format we're being selective we think

about some events more than others but

all the time as we live we are

constructing a narrative about ourselves

as we tell this story about ourselves

and construct this narrative really we

are construct acting who we are what I

think is interesting though is that most

of us don't take an active role in this

construction we do it out of habit and

routine my journaling practice is

designed actually to break the routine

it is designed actually to take a more

intentional and active role in telling

my life story to myself if my life is a

story I want to be its author but I also

want to be a good author and that takes

practice journaling is my practice the

idea is that I want to go beyond a

fragmented account of my life Julia

Annis who is an ethicist and a scholar

of ancient philosophy who I really

admire calls this making sense of one's

life as a whole she discusses this at

length in the first chapter of her book

The morality of Happiness a book that I

highly recommend even if you're not an

academic philosopher it's pretty

readable according to Anise ancient

ethics begins with one simple question

am I satisfied with my life as a whole

with the way that it has developed and

the way that it promises to continue for

ancient philosophers like Aristotle the

central problem of Ethics is happiness

or what they would call eudaimania we

could also call that human flourishing

achieving happiness is no easy task it

takes work and a lot of that work is

reflective work reflecting on one's life

as a whole and that is exactly what a

regular practice of journaling can

provide so if you have been struggling

to get started with journaling maybe

give this format a shot all you have to

do is write about something that

happened to your day write about

something you're proud of something

where you can improve and then try to

place it in the larger context of your

life write that story about yourself

foreign