What are some interesting things to write in your journal?

Feelings, dreams you have. Things or people you come across on a daily basis.

It sounds like you may be putting yourself under too much pressure. Try writing for the sake of writing. Your daughter, I’m sure, will enjoy reading about the mundane events of her mother’s life as well.

Are you writing every day? Have you thought about just writing when something particularly funny, scary or sad has happened?

@longgone Yeah, I guess I am putting myself under too much pressure. I write most days, but not daily. This answer was good, thank you. I love writing, so I will do as you sayand wrie for the sake of writing :D

This isn’t Facebook. You don’t need to make your life sexy. If you want your daughter to read it she needs to read about the horrible mundane shit. Shit like the diaper-bomb she lit off and the struggle to make the walls clean again. I think you will be better off writing about how you overcame problems instead of writing about you crush.

I agree with @johnpowell if it is a journal/diary.
If you intend to write an open-ended letter to your daughter that really is a different kind of goal.

Most folks consider a journal to be anything-goes, stream-of-consciousness with none of the editorial modifications you might use for communicating with someone else. You get a benefit from feeling no restrictions or judgement about it. You should feel free to write things that may seem uninteresting or stupid in the moment but who cares. Later the some phrase from the same thing could seem like genius or a valuable observation – and if you had composition goals you might have left it out.

Maybe write a journal, anything-goes, and later collect from that the best bits to share with your daughter.

My wife’s mother kept a journal. Some entries were mundane, comments on ordinary events of the day. Others were comments about the loving relationship with her husband. Many however, were reflections that arose from her daily reading of the bible. All of them were greatly appreciated by my wife and provided her with a deeper understanding of her mother.

You could reminisce about trips you’ve taken or people you’ve met. You could write about a day you spent doing something interesting or enjoyable, even if it was not particularly captivating (for example, a walk in a park looking at nature or a big snow storm or something).

You could make lists of things that she might find interesting when she reads the journal in the future – lists of your all time favorite songs or foods or something like that.

You could also put pictures you drew yourself even if you don’t consider yourself particularly good at drawing. You could also paste in pictures you get from other places, making it like a scrapbook (tickets to things like movies or concerts, etc.). You could put photos if you want, again, making it like a scrapbook.

I don’t keep a journal although I always think it seems like something that can be good to do for a multitude of reasons. It seems like a fun and interesting endeavor, and since there are no rules, it is what you want it to be. As mundane or as truthful as you want it to be, as fun or as serious as you want it to be.

You’re mistaken if you believe your doings too mundane to interest your children in the distant future. Personal chronicles are priceless. Try mentioning significant events from the day’s news and your reaction to them. If you can stick to it, you will probably get very good at it. You will almost certainly be appreciated for your foresight by your grateful kids.

Start with stream of consciousness—that is, write down anything that pops into your head about your day, your feelings, whatever. Just a few sentences or even one word will do. The main thing is, don’t follow any rules or feel constricted or inhibited in any way. Just write. Doing this every day will exercise your writing muscle and open your mind and heart.

I write about the events of the day in chronological order starting from when I wake. I describe whatever comes to mind about the weather, the news, people I have met, money, holiday plans, shopping trips. Last night I came across a quotation I liked so I stuck that in as well.

Mundane stuff is only mundane when you are doing it. When other people read about it, years later, it becomes a treasure trove of your daily life, something that they would never get to witness or even think about if you hadn’t written it down.

I just read a book that was basically an (fictionalized) account of one pioneer woman’s trek across the country as a new bride, walking across the United States, following her husband while guiding their meager belongings in the wagon, and trying to stay alive in the face of many dangers. The book is called The Diary of Mattie Spencer by Sandra Dallas. She talks about cooking outdoors, making paletable meals out of the most meager subsistence, talking and laughing with her husband, and describing what she sees and hears and feels. It was breathtaking and mesmerizing.

I would suggest that you take 5 minutes out of your day, each day, and simply write about what you did, who you saw, who you spoke to, what kinds of tools/appliances/electronicdevices did you use. Did you go to the store? What did you buy? Did you walk to the mailbox? Who and what did you encounter (dogs, neighbors, potholes in the sidewalk, a nice cat). What did you have for breakfast/lunch/dinner? How did you prepare those meals and did you encounter any difficulties or amusing moments? What is outside of your home? Do you see birds or squirrels or neighbors or a yard that needs to be mowed or beautiful roses in your garden? What does it smell like? Do you smell water hitting the hot pavement in summertime? Do you smell smog? Do you smell the rain coming? Do you smell the snow on the wet earth?

Just tell it like it is. Don’t try to pretty it up.

I agree with writing a summary of your day, and some of your thoughts.

It might also be cool to draw a small happy/sad/angry/content/excited face in the bottom right corner of each page.

That way you can monitor your overall “happiness” level across time, and keep track of the moods that different types of people and experiences put you in.

If you notice you’re drawing a lot of sad or angry faces over an extended period of time, you can start to make some changes with the people you hang out with, the places you go, or the decisions you make.

There are actually some phone apps that does this same thing, but I think doing it in your journal is more personal and helpful.

Another idea is to maybe keep your future kids/grandkids/great-grandkids in mind when writing. Usually people are forgotten after only a few generations, and it would be incredible to have a personal journal to pass down in the family – something future generations can learn from. If you want to keep your thoughts private, consider having a separate “private” journal, and another “life” journal that can be passed down.

Enjoy!

Congratulations on starting your journal again. One of the most powerful ways to use your journal is a special place to record the things you’re thankful for. Every evening before going to bed, write about what went right, what made you smile, what you’re grateful for. Even if the only things you can think of are: clean water, a roof over your head, clothes, hands that work, the ability to see, etc. You’ll change your life and teach your future daughter how to be a humble and appreciative human being.