I’ve been writing diary since I was 12 years old. I have so many journals that I think I can have them filled up a huge bookshelf, or maybe two. Just by counting how many pages there must be will cause you a headache.

I started writing diary for a silly reason, it was because the football team I supported lost in the World Cup and I felt so upset that I just wanted to write down how I felt. I was surprised how persistent I was after writing an entry a day for the following week. I have to say, keeping a diary has made my life better and I’m glad that I’ve started it at a young age. Here’s how keeping a diary makes my life better.

Your Feelings Are Expressed

It doesn’t matter if you’re sad, happy or mad, however you feel, just write it down in your diary. No one’s going to judge your sadness, happiness or anger. Your diary will take it all – your tears and you smiley faces.

Whenever I feel sad, I can keep writing for four or five pages. The funny thing is that my handwriting changes depends on my mood too. When I’m excited, my handwriting looks like dancing; when I’m upset, my handwriting is messy.

Your Memories Are Kept

Not everyone has a good memory. Even for those who have really good memories, they forget details from the past.

If you write diary every day, you can take a record of every detail you see and do on that day.

This is a nice way to reminisce what happened in the past. You don’t even need Facebook’s “X Years Ago Today” to remind you of your great memories with your friends or family.

Your Motivation For Life Is Always Kept

I’ve always found it interesting to read my previous diary entries. I can see how much I’ve changed and grown up. Sometimes, I look back just to realize that I’ve become much stronger than I ever imagined.

As I said, I started to write diary because I was upset about my favorte team losing a match and now looking back, I’d laugh at myself for being so silly. I once thought school exams were everything to my life and now that I’ve grown up, I realize that school exams are nothing compared to living a purposeful and joyful life.

My past makes me who I am today and all those experiences are motivating me to hold on to my life more every single day.

Your Life Story May Make a Difference in Others’ Lives

I’m not saying that I’m going to make my diary a biography, but even small things like a diary can make a difference to other people. Just look at Anne Frank, whose diary is made into a book that’s so inspiring and encouraging for anyone who’s facing their difficult times in life.

Having my own life written down on papers is like taking notes of my life so that I can vividly tell my stories to the ones I love in future. I sometimes just read out some of the great moments I had with my family to my sister, and we’d laugh at those silly moments together.

Keeping a diary has made my life better, and I believe this will change your life too. So just pick up your pen and start to write your own journal too! And I’m sure decades later, you’ll thank yourself for starting to journal.

Featured image credit: Gabrielle Henderson via Unsplash