Keeping a Spiritual Diary, a Record of Observed Facts

Keeping a Spiritual Diary, A Record of Observed Facts

Many successful and brilliant people of current times and throughout history have kept a journal: Albert Einstein, Frida Kahlo, Mahatma Gandhi, Martha Stewart, Oprah. "Various studies indicate that writing can improve sleep, immune function, and general physical health," says James W. Pennebaker, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Texas-Austin. Other studies indicate that writing helps people to clear their minds, makes them less anxious, and makes them happier.

A spiritual diary adds focus to journaling by answering a list of set questions of your choice that help you stay on track with your spiritual practices and goals.

Benefits of Journaling 

Journaling is an act of self-care. It is a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to process feelings, reduce stress, and help us be honest with ourselves.. Not only does this develop our capacity for critical self-assessment and reflection, but done rightly, it creates the space between the observer-me and the worker-me, effectively loosening the hold of the ego on my self-identity. It allows us to track ourselves honestly. Your spiritual diary is your teacher. It is an eye-opener. If you maintain a daily diary properly, you begin to realize what a precious gift this life is and you will not want to waste even a single minute unnecessarily. 

What is a Spiritual Diary?

For your spiritual diary you will decide on a set list of questions which you will answer daily. Include questions that are valuable to you in order to track yourself and see where you stand. Reflect on what virtues or spiritual ideals you are working towards and choose questions based on that. You can answer those questions by simply writing down a number from 1-10 or in full sentences.

Writing in your spiritual diary can be done at any time during the day. The practice essentially consists of going over the day’s activities and getting curious. This diary is designed to inspire you to observe yourself objectively and to become responsible, and accountable. You can use any type of journal: just a plain piece of paper, a little binder, an app, or a computer. It does not matter how you do it. What matters is that you are consistent in answering the questions you choose. Personally, I prefer paper and pen in an effort to minimize screen time. Spend whatever amount of time you want each day on answering the diary questions. Some people like to make thorough and deep diaries. Others spend only a few minutes. It is entirely up to you. 

Stay Motivated

On the first page of your journal write one sentence that will keep you motivated and focused, especially on the days we are feeling more tamasic and sluggish. Make this sentence simple, clear and concise. For example the sentence that I used for many years was “I am taking responsibility for improving how I show up in my relationships.” This sparked inspiration for me to remain dedicated in my daily practice and to look closely at myself for opportunities for improvement. Having external support of like-minded people working toward common goals is important; and having equal amounts or more of internal motivation is crucial. 

On the second page of your journal, list 5-10 questions to answer daily. On the next page write today’s date and the responses to your questions. Continue in this way. After answering your questions you can express anything extra you need to or add a little creative doodle if you are feeling inspired. 

Ask Yourself Important Questions

It’s important that the questions you choose are specific and meaningful for you. Shifting our attitudes and habits takes time. The questions you ask yourself will change throughout life depending on your lifestyle, your family, and work commitments. Be honest, you are keeping this diary for your own benefit. Don’t cheat yourself. Do not be ashamed to mention your mistakes, vices and failures. This is meant only for your own progress. 

Sample Spiritual Diary

Below I have included some sample questions for your spiritual diary. 

What spiritual exercises did I use to start my day? How long was my morning spiritual practice?

Was I able to use my words to heal and help?

Did I handle praise and criticism with equanimity?

Did I work for work’s sake, with no expectation of any kind? Or Did I work in the spirit of serving those around me?

Did I make the best use of my time and energy? How many hours did I spend on useless activities?

Did I do my work with love and care, giving full attention to the task in hand?

Did I do anything today which would not qualify as ethical?

How much did I remember my inner divinity? 

Did I eat consciously? What did I eat, and how did it affect my consciousness, mind, emotions, and body?

What was my mood today? Why? What effect did this have on myself and others?

What asana/physical exercise did I do today? How did it affect my consciousness, emotions, and body?

Was I regular in my meditation today? If not, why?

How many lies did I tell? How did I make up for that?

How many times did my anger, fear, jealousy  (use any troublesome quality you are working to lessen) appear? For how long? What did I learn about it?

Did I fail to manage a harmful habit? Which, and how am I improving on that? 

What was the quality of my concentration today? Why is it at this level?

What virtue did I work on developing? (ex: compassion, patience, acceptance, forgiveness, honesty) What did I learn about it?

What Indriya/sense is troubling me the most?

Stay in Balance

This exercise is not an ego trip- neither to over inflate or deflate our self-esteem. Do not feel discouraged on the days when we slacken a bit in our practice. These hiccups show us what we could have done in a better way. This is a way of realigning with our goals and paying closer attention the following day. On the days we stay focused in our practice, this boosts our confidence and gives a sense of accomplishment. 

Know that you are not alone. The mistakes we make are mistakes most people make. They are educational opportunities for improvement as they show us where we need to be more attentive in our growth. Making the same mistake over and over again is a warning sign that we are not learning the lesson. We might find ourselves repeatedly in a similar painful situation until we make some positive change. 

After we review our day and finish journaling we can go to sleep with the firm resolve to learn from the day’s lessons and improve the following day. Swami Tyagananda calls them the three P’s: patience, perseverance, and purity of purpose. Begin each day anew with a joyful heart!