Editor's Note I’m not that kind of person By Darcy L. Fargo

February 28, 2024

I’d love to be the kind of person who writes in a journal every day.

I love writing, and journaling has been recommended to me by at least a handful of people I trust to have my best interest at heart. When I have tried journaling, I’ve found it helpful in processing big emotions and remembering significant events.

While I’d love to be the kind of person who writes in a journal every day, I’m the kind of person who writes in a journal for five to seven days only to ignore its existence for the rest of time after.

I’ve tried to develop a journaling habit more times than I can count. I just can’t seem to stick with it. I’ve had this experience when trying to develop other new, positive habits. I’ll stick to the new habit for a short time, and then I’ll do it sporadically or, in some cases, never again.

For years, I would beat myself up for being unable to stick with journaling.

Then, the Holy Spirit gave me a nudge. That nudge? A “buy one, get one free” sale on a journal I had been eyeing.

I bought two copies of the journal. I gave one to a friend. We did the journal together. Every night, we’d digitally message each other about that day’s journal prompt. We left it very open. We could just say, “I did it,” we could talk about why the prompt was challenging to us or we could talk about what we wrote.

I finished that journal. I’m now working on a different journal with a different friend. I’ve benefited from considering my answers to the prompts and writing, but I’ve benefited as much or more from the subsequent discussions.

With something as simple as a sale, the Holy Spirit taught me to stop fighting who I am and work with it. It’s ok to want to be better, but I’m denying the goodness of God’s creation if I don’t at least try to accept who I am now.

Through that sale, the Holy Spirit also reinforced the fact that we grow best with others helping. I’ve been able to make progress toward making journaling a habit. I’ve been able to grow by considering the journal prompts and discussing them with my friends. I’ve grown closer to the friends with whom I’ve done these journals.

All that growth came about because God knows I’m the kind of person who needs accountability and community to write in a journal every day and to accept where I am now on my journey.