A Journaling we go...

Writers, in general, write. That's just how it is. We work on our poems, scripts, stories, blogs, novels, what-have-you. It's how we're wired. Yet there's an area of writing that many writers overlook, even though many of us may have been introduced to it as kids in elementary school. Yes, that's right, I'm talking about the dreaded JOURNAL.
  A journal can be pretty much anything, but it's usually just a small notebook that you carry around and keep handy, so you can jot down your thoughts or ideas... or (horrors!) your feelings. A lot of people equate the keeping of a journal with the diary you or your sister may have kept stashed under your pillow and into which you poured your deepest, darkest secrets when you were a child. Well, yes and no. I would say that a journal is not like a diary or even a blog, although it probably contains elements of both.
  You may opine that you already do a lot of writing, and I'm sure you're right, but a journal is different. In your journal you'll capture fleeting ideas, sights, sounds, thoughts and smells. The feel of a dandelion covered in dew, the minute fragrance of a woman's perfume as she passes by in a crowd, the shape of a leaf's shadow on a hot summer sidewalk.
  In your journal you can quickly snare an elusive idea for your next novel, chapter, non-fiction book, or Haiku. Your journal is like a net that can help you catch and keep the bits of flotsam and jetsam that your muse lobs your way a thousand times a day from a million directions. Your journals can then, in essence, become deposits of literary ore just waiting for you to mine them for inspiration, information, and ideas, "Whether you're keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it's the same thing. What's important is you're having a relationship with your mind." - Natalie Goldberg
 A relationship with your mind, that's a beautiful thing. Sometimes we, as writers, get caught up in the process or art of writing, and let our relationship with our mind suffer. Keeping a journal allows you to keep that relationship vital. Many times over the years we may wish that we could revisit certain moments in our lives: the birth of a child, a graduation, a marriage proposal, a goodbye... well, in lieu of a fully operational time machine, a journal would do nicely. A quick scan of an old journal where you mention the time you thought you lost your child in a department store would bring back a slew of thoughts, feelings, etc. that you could use in your writing. Not to mention that writing is what we do anyway. So try keeping a journal, it doesn't have to be filled with deep, thought-provoking lines meant for posterity. Just jot down everyday thoughts and experiences. Once you do, looking back at what you have written there, you'll be glad you did.
"Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself." - Robin S. Sharma