These days everyone’s focus is glued to the outside going on outside themselves. It’s hard to stay focused on you, I mean the real you. Rereading your journals is a way to stay tapped into you and what matters to you. But, a word of caution. It’s critical that you read with compassionate reflection to get the most out of what’s inside.

Do You Reread Your Journals?

Your personal journals are a treasure trove of your experiences, reflections, and what it’s like to be you on the inside. They’re a product of the quality time you spend with yourself.

Like many people who enjoy and benefit from writing a journal, you might use your journals to keep records, reflect on experiences, clarify thoughts and sentiments, vent without creating conflict, and improve your writing skills.

But more than likely, you lovingly store your soulful volumes for years. Maybe that’s 10, 20, and even 50 or 60 years without so much as a glance.

But did you know, there’re plenty of Reasons Why You Should Read Your Journals?

First, Why Do So Few Reread Their Journals

Few people reread their journals, especially once some time has passed. Still, they hang onto their volumes. A few more common reasons include:

• Don’t have time to read them
• Want to wait and reminisce during my golden years
• They’re in storage
• Leaving them to my kids
• Reading a diary day after day is tedious
• I’m over all that
• Don’t want to visit the past: just don’t or there was too much pain
• Took a look once and thought wow, how sappy, whiny, immature, etc
• Haven’t really thought about it

Still, the vast majority will say even if they haven’t read their journals to date, they just might do so in the future.

When Is It Time to Reread Your Journals?

The answer to the question “when is it time to reread your journals” depends on your intentions. But, from a personal growth perspective, there are a number of obvious motivations.

• better understand how your past influenced your choices or a current situation;
• access the younger you’s perspective on a recurring or persistent issue;
• refresh important memories that have faded with time;
• recall personal memories of someone who passed or with whom you lost contact;
• explore a yearning you have for a part of yourself that you did not develop or carry forward into your life;
• gather fodder to refresh or reinvent your professional and/or personal life such as a mid-life revision;
• identify past interests that you can rekindle now or upon retirement;
• broaden your perspective related to your children or other youngsters by recalling how you were at their age;
• access a source of writing material, whether that takes the form of a memoir or creative inspiration; or
• share personal or family history with children and other loved ones.

Each of these motivations will likely benefit more if your process is grounded in objective and compassionate reflection and the committed curiosity to discover gems from your past.

The Importance of Compassionate Reflection When Rereading Your Journals

If you decide to read your journals, consider these seven compassionate reflection suggestions. Together they’ll help you remain open and curious so you get the most out of the experience.

1.  Note when you started journaling and why

Most certainly, what was going on in your life at the time, and why you were drawn to, journal writing has had a significant effect on the subject matter, content, and tone.

Remaining aware of your past intentions and circumstances promotes a more enlightened, compassionate, and empathetic viewpoint.

While you likely matured and evolved over time, you may not have taken stock in your efforts and successes. Or, perhaps you took a road that led you far from something once important to you and that hasn’t yet occurred to you given the hustle and bustle of your life.

When you reach middle age, this type of reflection can be more impactful and often helpful when it comes time to reinvent yourself or find more meaning in what you do.

2.  Suspend judgment

Younger less experienced selves can come across as naive and even embarrassing. To remain objective, open, and compassionate you may have to imagine the writer is a younger friend you care deeply about. Try to question rather than judge and critique.

Can you offer wisdom to your younger friend (self)? Can she offer youthful innocence and curiosity to your mature and more settled older self?

Could this reflection prompt some fruitful new journal entries?

3. Don’t criticize the writing

No doubt, your ability to express yourself improved as you aged. The way you wrote when you were younger was probably less sophisticated. But, be mindful. Criticism and judgment shut down the person who’s trying to communicate with you, and that person is you. In other words, don’t shut yourself down.

If you get bogged down in the evaluation of your old voice, writing style, and grammar, you’ll likely overlook significant emotional and mental content that remains relevant to you today. This could be a testament to what you’ve overcome. Or, it may highlight what remains a challenge today.

And, if you’re like me, you may be surprised by some of the insightful and articulate passages you find.

4. Be compassionate with your younger self

Don’t criticize the ignorance, innocence, or level of maturity of your younger self. Similarly, don’t recoil from old social, political, and romantic views.

Instead, be compassionate, objective, open, and get reacquainted. Notice those interesting and even fascinating stages of discovery. Appreciate how you were able to weave together your younger self’s apparent tangents and make you who you are today.

Consider whether there is still value in stretching outside your comfort zone and weaving together a new, more colorful you.

5. Read in short blocks of time

The diary format of most journals can be tedious and repetitive. Don’t let that make you impatient and critical. Instead, read your journal in small doses.

Let what you read sit with you. Notice if some of it creeps into your dreams. Can some of the old now offer you new important messages and insights? Take your time.

Again, consider whether there are some themes and topics worth exploring more through further journaling.

6. Notice patterns

As read, do you notice patterns in the journal content during a certain stage of your life or through a series of your journals that still resonate with you today? Can you see an evolution?

If not, is it time to cultivate resolve and wisely and compassionately address these persistent patterns and issues?

7. Reread your journals slowly and reflect

Do you find juicy nuggets, clever thoughts, pivotal events that frame or somehow contribute to who you are now, and/or the personal development path you followed to get to where you are today? You can learn a lot from yourself. And, you can help heal the younger you if you want.

Consider taking parts of your journal and rewriting them with your current accumulated knowledge and experience. Where can your younger self go with the knowledge and experience you have today?

Again, consider journaling your thoughts and answers to these questions.

An Extra Caution For Those With Difficult Pasts

If your journaled past includes traumatic, disturbing, or triggering content, make sure that you’ve processed this before digging into the memories again.

In addition, be mindful and notice how the content is affecting your mental and emotional well-being. Make sure to seek help if you need it.

For Assistance With Using Your Journals Through Compassionate Reflection, see:

• 7 Reasons Why You Should Read Your Journals
• 7 Benefits of Using Writing For Self-Discovery,
• Spiritual Life Coaching sessions

Or, Contact Me

Updated October 2, 2022