In the first week of summer break, I went digging through the stacks of old books on my bookshelf and found several empty journals. The pages were speckled with dust around the edges, blank and without a trace of writing to read. They had sat upon the shelf for years after I received them for Christmas sometime in junior high. It had been a long time since I kept a journal. Since finding them, I have begun to regularly write down my thoughts and feelings. In doing this, I have discovered 10 ways in which keeping a journal can be extremely helpful.

1. Capture brilliant ideas.

Do you ever have a grand idea and then forget it? With a journal, you will be able to write the idea down and come back to it again in the future. Write your ideas on paper so you can remember and reference them. Whenever a brilliant idea strikes, take a pen and scribble it down. The short-term memory only retains information for about three minutes, so cement your thoughts on paper before they disappear. A journal can prove a boundless creative portal.

2. Do you have an issue? Get clarity.

If you are ever doubtful, confused, or unsure of what to do, use your journal to clear a path in your thoughts. Describe the issue, the ins and outs, what could or could not happen, the pros and cons, any outcome you can think of it, write it in the journal. It requires you to ponder the whys, hows, ifs, and buts.

3. Problems.

Is there something in life that makes you feel sad, upset, down in the dumps? Are you having trouble overcoming this hardship? Jot it down. Your journal provides a good listener to all your problems and will never judge you.

5. Overcoming the problems.

Remember when life just wasn't treating you very well? How are you feeling right now? Is it better than before? What good things have happened since then? Tell them to the journal and then look back at how you have overcome your difficulties. By looking back at your past entries, you can track personal growth and it proves that you can overcome your problems.

6. Celebrate your victories and triumphs.

Passing that important exam. Overcoming your tendency to be shy. Finally finishing that book. Winning a big game. Write it all down. No victory counts less than another victory. Every triumph, no matter how small, is important. Here, you can immortalize and celebrate.

7. Planning and strategizing.

You can use your journal for short-term and long-term planning. Make a plan and find ways to make it happen. Create routines for working out or doing homework and studying. Record and document your strategies.

8. Think beyond the obvious.

Did you have a boring or uneventful day? Don't get down when you have nothing to write about. Trust me, you will never be without something to write about. Jot down something funny a friend told you, a set of song lyrics you can't get out of your head, something shocking you heard on the news, or ideas for an outfit. The options are limitless.

9. Self-awareness.

As you continue to add words to your journal and the pages fill up, you eventually become more self-aware. You will discover things about yourself and grow as a person. Your goals and dreams will change. Things that worried you in the past will now seem insignificant. Your journal will help you mature and learn about yourself.

10. Self-therapy.

Journaling is an inexpensive, accessible, and easy way to express yourself. It can be a very helpful source of relief. Putting your feelings down on paper will remove stress, anger, sadness, and any other negative emotion and keep you from internalizing how you feel. You will not have to hide or avoid these thoughts when you have a therapeutic alleviant in the form of blank pages.

So, if you are feeling sad, need guidance, or are simply trying to get some organization into your life, consider getting a journal. It helps in more ways than one. If you are worried that you won't keep up on it, don't. Only you can control when, where, and how you write in your journal.