One of the reasons that I have never gone for separate journals is because I get into writing and my thoughts just kind of segue from one thing to another pretty rapid-fire and I'm thinking if I had more than one journal I'd get all mixed up... I'm easily confuzzled!

So, those of you with multiple journals, how do you deal with that and keep them straight? Is there repetition, or when you start veering off into a topic for another journal, do you write See other journal, or what?

???

I used to have just one journal to write down my daily thoughts, and yes, my thoughts would progress from one subject to the next.

But recently my sweet boyfriend passed on. I want to remember him and things about him.....good memories, jokes we shared, etc. I bought a journal just to dedicate to him. I will write down my thoughts while going through the grieving and healing process, and what I want to remember about him. In time some things do fade, so I want to capture it while it is still fresh in my mind.

I think other people do the same thing for very specific subjects.....perhaps a journal for daily thoughts, another for poems, another to keep track of crafts or hobbies, one for dreams, one for prayers, one for special quotes from family, etc.

That is a very sweet idea Cassie, and I think a quite powerful one. That way all your thoughts about him are in one place, and it's a special place.

Cassie I love that too.

IH8FMS, I am like you. I need to be frazzled/positive/excited/confused/creative/spiritual in one place.

So far having the two separate journals is working out well for me. My personal one and the one I dedicate to my recently deceased boyfriend.

I have a few pictures of my boyfriend inside the cover of his journal, so I can look at him sometimes when I think of different things. Everything I can think of goes into that journal......including his favorite quotes, his favorite foods, endearing things I want to remember about him, lyrics of songs that connect me to him in some way, and of course my feelings of grief and moving on. In the beginning I would just write down how I was feeling, but now I address my entries as if they are letters to him and it seems more personal and right to me. I am already half way through this journal and it has only been two months since he died. I bought another journal like it as a backup to continue if I run out of space.

It helps so much therapeutically, and it's a comfort to know that little things that come to my mind about him won't get lost with time.

Dear Cassie -

I think that is a spectacularly lovely thing you're doing, and that you'll treasure it forever. Hopefully other people in this situation read this thread and get the idea to do it.

It is great that you have a backup. That way you know you can write as much as you want.

Thanks, Lisa. I have mentioned my journal in the Bereavement section of the forums as well. I may go ahead and write more there about it to give other people the idea. I just knew I would have a lot going on inside of me when my boyfriend passed away, and I thought a journal would be a good place to remember him and to unload some feelings and emotions when I would not know what else to do with them. It helps....

Cassie, i think that is an amazing idea. What a beautiful, wonderful way to celebrate a loved one. I am going to have to remember this tip.

My personal journal has "Believe in Yourself" inscribed on the cover. That saying is very inspirational to me right now. Sometimes having positive quotes around can be very grounding and reassuring.

IH8FMS - I don't think it is necessarily important for you to have more than one journal if that is what works for you. Some of us like to compartmentalize our thoughts and ideas and some of don't. I think if you have found a method that allows to you deliver and continue stream of thought that you should revel in it. My two cents anyway.

Cassie - I think you have hit on a very therapeutic way of handling your grief as well as creating a keep sake for future reference. Great idea.

I used to keep multiplet journals and it just got too confusing. . .What I have found is that those with multiple journals usually journal electronically

I have just two journals, and they work out very well for me. One is for my personal issues, and the other is a memorial to my deceased boyfriend, where I can remember things and talk to him there for my personal healing in regards to his passing. I would not want my other personal topics mixed into his journal, and vice versa.

I used to write music and had a somewhat daily diary journal. I found it very helpful to separate the two, as the music journal was my creative side, which allowed me to experiment, whereas my daily journal was filled with more logical thoughts and details. I never wanted to mix the two up.

[quote=IH8FMS]One of the reasons that I have never gone for separate journals is because I get into writing and my thoughts just kind of segue from one thing to another pretty rapid-fire and I'm thinking if I had more than one journal I'd get all mixed up... I'm easily confuzzled! So, those of you with multiple journals, how do you deal with that and keep them straight? Is there repetition, or when you start veering off into a topic for another journal, do you write[i] See other journal[/i], or what? [/quote] :fish:I write the topic of each journal on the first page of each journal. :wall: [i][/i][b][/b]

What a wonderful idea, Debbie... wonderful as a memory book and wonderful for healing.

Thank you. I do like having the two separate journals, and the one I dedicate to my boyfriend has really helped me to release my grief.

Romance......no, I don't get my thoughts and writings mixed up or repeated in my two journals. They are two very separate topics.

I have multiple journals. But sometimes it does get confusing. My first journal is a daybook where I capture whatever random thing be it a shopping list or a quote I like or a personal epiphany. The second journal is a diary type of journal and this is where I write out my thoughts at length and deal with emotions.

Then there are my notebooks and binders. These are separated by topic such as "creativity," "life lessons," "books read," and "writing." Because this method took up space, I went ahead and started transferring information into Evernote.

This has been fun to think about! What a good topic....

It kind of circles back to what (in my opinion)is the VERY BEST thing about journal-writing... you can totally do it YOUR WAY! No having to follow anyone else's rules. You can read about journaling, take whatever of the ideas you want, and leave the rest!

Exactly....whatever method you choose to keep journals is entirely up to you and should be according to what works best for you.

When I was a little girl, I kept a journal but quickly got rid of it when my sister read it. The outrage! I felt vulnerable to put my thoughts on paper for anyone to find so I stopped keeping a journal.

But the urge to write down my thoughts proved irresistible and I've kept numerous journals throughout the years, being careful to burn them when they were full.

I now have a garden journal, a spirituality journal, an exercise journal, a dream journal, etc. Several are digital. I don't know why I keep journals, except that it feels good to write down my thoughts. I'm finding that my BOL forum journals are very helpful. Yes, anyone can read them but that keeps me accountable.

I love journaling! I'm thinking of beginning a new one because I have entered a new phase in my life.

Lori,
I think that is a wonderful idea, starting a new one for a new phase in life. It is hard to keep a journal after your trust has been violated but it sounds like you have come to a healthy place of healing with that. Good for you!

I once read a goal on 43things where the goal setter said he wanted to "write down things in appropriate places." That struck home for me because that is what I've learned to do.

Things get lost in paper journals. I'll read back in my journal from 5 years ago and I'll see all of this ideas, articles, that I never followed up on because they became buried in the journal.

In 2007, began a kind of journal on 43things where I'm writing about specific goals, updating myself on how the goal is progressing etc. The problem with that is that while it's more searchable than my paper journal, that is part of the problem, it's is public. Not under my name but still it's on the internet so I do not write any and everything as I would in my paper journal.

Then I have notebooks with lists--like all of the movies I've watched since 2006, that is a sort of journal.

So yes, I believe in multiple journals or as the 43things goal setter said: writing things down in appropriate places.

You just have to get a feel for what you should write where. If I just want to chronicle my life in general--paper journal, if I want to write an update on a goal--43things.

I occasionally try multiple journals and it keeps getting all confused. I like the idea of having a journal just for one topic, but stuff happens. I get tired of writing on a particular subject but there is lots of book left and I do not want to waste it so....I repurpose it for another topic.........sometimes this happens more than once to the same book. I suppose keeping a journal on the computer would be more practicle and easier to organize, but paper has a strong appeal for me that is hard to explain.

Ilah B, here's what I think... you don't need to explain to me or anyone else your reason(s) for journaling your way. That's one of the biggest things to l♡ve about journaling... you are Da Boss! So write on your way!

I stick with one journal for daily things. But I keep others for music, art and reading.

I'm currently both art journaling and writing journaling. I have two journals right now, but one I think of for working on art techniques and the other for working on writing.

Currently, I have three journals going. One of them is strictly for 'arting' and for trying out new art techniques. A second one started as a drawing journal, but has segued into a place for art and writing. I'm currently preparing a third for my upcoming trip to Ireland. At home, I'm painting backgrounds on each page. I'm going to bring colored pens, some washi tape, and a glue stick to Ireland, so I can keep ticket stubs and write down what I see and how I feel.

Right now I have three journals:

I have my regular daily journal that I write thoughts in, and my daily gratitude list.

I have a journal of goals, and actions I can take. I use this journal to ask questions about what I'm doing, where I'm going, and what may be keeping me blocked if I'm not actually moving forward on it.

I have a dream journal, and I write my dreams, and then my interpretation of that dream.

Korie, that sounds so pretty!!! You are an artist, aren't you

What a perfect idea. Seriously, I love color and I never even considered painting pages! I know I'm late on this post, but how did this work out for you, Korie!

I haven't been journaling for a while and I came back to this idea of having multiple ones. I think that would help me a lot. If a journal was for a specific purpose it would help me go to it.

I have started a brand new journal for gratitude. I feel that is so key of a foundation for everything else. One step at a time!

I have kept a journal for many years. It is a diary. However, when we travel I keep a small notebook in my purse so that I can jot down details about the trip. I use the same notebook to make notes for myself for a myriad of ideas and thoughts and important items.

I've been keeping sketchbooks during the pandemic, and I really enjoy those. I've now been selling the paintings to support charity. I suppose that's an up-side of recording things in drawing form rather than written form. I probably wouldn't auction off diary pages ...

So cool Lisa.