Some bloggers set out with the intention of writing a journal: a travel diary maybe, or a record of daily life. It might be for their own pleasure, to keep their family informed, or with the intention of writing something insightful and witty enough that it attracts a world wide internet audience of millions.

But the longer I blog, the more I think that all forms of blogging have a journaling dimension to them.  Blogs give us:

• the chance to think, to reflect, to chew over ideas
• the opportunity to look back and discern patterns and meanings from our words (photos, links, tweets) over time
• a space that’s ours, that we can shape, adapt, and develop as we choose
• the invitation to practice: to write, day by day, and develop our style, learn to hear our voice
• feedback loops that help us work out what’s important, what matters, what counts
• playspace
• creative space
• a chance to experiment with different mediums
• meaningful frames: the need to translate ideas into bite sized pieces helps us to process, make sense, make meaning
• affirmation of the positive: the more we write about what matters and what counts, the more that shapes our life
• permission to be honest: communities of bloggers encourage us to dig deeper, write more truthfully

It’s one of the reasons I started this site.  I realised that blogging was as much if not more about journaling than writing.  And I wanted to learn more, to understand more, to teach more about how journaling works, and why it has such power to help us live the good life.