5 Life Changing Journaling Habits from the Stoics

00:00 Intro
02:10 1. Just start
03:32 2. Use a physical journal
04:39 3. Write for yourself
06:04 4. Get it out of your head
07:18 5. Have dialogue with yourself

Journaling is Stoicism. It’s almost impossible to have one without the other. Ryan Holiday's journaling ideas come from his 15+ year practice of writing and reflecting on Stoicism. Journaling is one of the most essential exercises in Stoic philosophy. Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius all praised the benefits of journaling. In Stoicism the daily practice is the philosophy.

Follow us on social media:

[DailyStoic]

00:00 Intro
02:10 1. Just start
03:32 2. Use a physical journal
04:39 3. Write for yourself
06:04 4. Get it out of your head
07:18 5. Have dialogue with yourself

[snehaetihad]

Did not realize when I actually started putting my positive manifestation in my journal. At my lowest life phase I was dreaming and journaling my sea facing villa, my design business, my dream family. Today when reading back the journal am amazed how they all came true to the finer details

[kathryncainmadsen]

I would like people to remember that INTENTION is everything. Don’t just vomit out your bad stuff. There is now plenty of evidence that journaling can also increase obsessions and justifications. Serial killers and school shooters almost all keep journals. You must intend something cleansing and forgiving and use it intentionally for self-awareness. It is not always catharsis unless you decide it is.

[IzzyOnTheMove]

When i get behind i can spend 8+ hours writing. Been journaling since 1992. You can even see how your handwriting changes over time. I often make myself laugh when reading back ❤️

[MommaUnicorn]

I started Journaling and it's grown so big in our house that we now journal together as a family. My favorite time of the day is Journaling in the evening with my kids to off load their day, a create a restful environment for sleep. Thank you for this pathway ❤

[laila]

My proudest possession are my journals. I am 16 and I have been journaling constantly ever since I was 7... I have 22 journals completed, I've had years in which I had one completed in a month...
And sometimes when I read it back I get uncomfortable but other times I'll be surprised about how I looked at the world back then. Even though I wrote only about "unimportant" things and things I don't think are true anymore, reading my old journals gives me the possibility to see the world I saw back then

[IKEMENOsakaman]

Stoicism changed my girlfriend forever. She is so productive, and is now a founder of three companies. I wanna follow her steps, as well as support her stoicly.

[alexandreaturcot]

Journaling for me has always been a private, self-soothing kind of therapy. If I am struggling with some kind of stress or situation, I can not control or change, I write it out. It helps me get the feelings and thoughts out of my head and I can move on with my day. I also started keeping a journal after I had my first child. At first I started it for them to have when they get older, now I enjoy looking back at it. I have four children, a husband and a full-time job so the Journaling has not happened in a long time! But, I know I can always go back to it whenever I want and start back up.

[ctrinidad]

I started this year and surprisingly I manifested almost all of my desires. Some of which more than I can imagine. I will continue to do so.

[johnomaba]

Started journaling earlier this month and I must say I have never felt more mental clarity in my life. This act can create a suitable balance in your emotions. You are always calm and calculated. And my retentive memory jumped up a little more.

[rowenabisschoff]

Yoh! This is so profound. Steve Jobs not being able to retrieve his files electronically but we can all read Leonardo’s journals. Been thinking about the best medium to store knowledge for future generations and this hit home. Thanks!

[nohandle-]

I use the Julia’s morning pages approach. That and No 4 have been the biggest reasons why journaling has become so important to me. It’s like my therapist because something magical happens - as in the processing you start to get perspective and a wisdom starts to come through. Love the Anne Frank quote too

[PianoCeleb]

I love to write in cursive. Today’s world we are constantly typing into screens. There’s something so great about moving my hand across the page. I have kept journals for years, and I have experimented with writing with both hands, backward and forward!

[gabrielacurti]

I just realized how I needed this..! I was a journaler in my youth and I quit it long time ago. What it hits me is that I took different ways to replace that: mostly Facebook, those thinks that I could share with others, though they were inner thoughts. I emailed to myself for those things I didn't want to share. I even wrote in the cell phone notes or in loose papers... I think it's time to grow and come back to the old habit. Thank you so much for the enlightening!

[CHSN-]

Moleskin journals literally made me fall in love with journaling. I have over 200+ full since 2013.
If your not journaling it’s super powerful, and will change your life…

[anthonyloxston-baker]

The Daily Stoic and the Daily Stoic email are responsible for my daily Journalling practice. I started three months into the National lockdown in the UAE when looking fro something to get through. It has helped me profoundly changed my mindset and life for the better. Thank you for that Ryan.

[avidhossanmansur]

The first tip really works. I started journaling by writing only 5 sentences about what happened that day when I was 14. And I've pretty much never stopped journaling since.

[crinna]

I don't journal. I'm dyslexic. I have horrible handwriting and I have ADHD. Writing is not conducive to creative thought for me. The physical task takes too much of my concentration for my creativity to actually flow. But I do sketch And have for years. Some of my sketches are completed drawings and some are just gestures with notes. Journaling does not have to take one specific form for it to be a valid practice. And it took me a long time to come to this realization. For years I beat myself up for not being able to journal or get anything out of the monumental effort that journaling took. Only when I let go of what I thought it should be did I really get something out of it.

[Rjoseph]

This is great and motivational. I have had a brain injury in the past, and I found that writing has helped clear my head and my brain. I try and write down thoughts and how I'm feeling more than anything, however, I haven't written in such a long time. Maybe this is a calling for me to start writing again?

[TheRozylass]

I've been journaling since I was given a journal as a high school graduation present in 1975! In 2010 I saw David McCollough speak at a family history conference. He said something to the effect that only those who leave physically written journals and letters will be remembered. You just proved that with the anecdote about Steve Jobs. If someone doesn't know what to write about, think of what you'd like to know about your ancestors and then write about those things in your life. I think reading my past journals is interesting as I can see my growth and also how I've stayed the same.