This document discusses the benefits of journaling for self-reflection and awareness. It notes that while social media can reveal interests and skills, it does not capture personal development areas, goals, values, or moments of success. Journaling fills this gap by allowing private reflection beyond what is shared publicly. The document recommends journaling just one thought per day, which takes less than five minutes on average but adds up over time to a valuable repository of self-knowledge to support important life decisions. Integrating journaling into an existing system like Dropbox or Evernote can also reduce the effort required to establish a new habit.

1. BUILDING A HABIT OF SELF REFLECTION
Reeta Banerjee
reeta@stanford.edu

2. WHY JOURNAL?
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•
Journaling builds self awareness
When you know yourself, you can make
better life decisions.

3. MOST PEOPLE TYPICALLY WRITE ABOUT
THEIR INTERESTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
•
•
•
Facebook Interests
reveal hobbies or
favorites
Twitter posts & people
you’re following reveal
your topic interests
Linkedin skills show
what you’re good at

4. WHAT’S MISSING?
Info about yourself
Facebook
“About me”
Fun interests (hobbies)
✔
Topic interests
Skills
Bright spots
(moments of personal
success)
Development areas
Personal Goals
Values
Twitter
Posts
Linkedin
Skills&Expertise
✔
✔

5. WHAT’S MISSING?
Info about yourself
Facebook
“About me”
Fun interests (hobbies)
✔
Topic interests
Skills
Twitter
Posts
Linkedin
Skills&Expertise
✔
✔
Bright spots
(moments of personal
success)
Development areas
Personal Goals
Values
THIS IS WHERE JOURNALING CAN FILL THE GAP

6. EVERYTHING THAT’S WRITTEN ABOUT YOURSELF
ONLINE IS WRITTEN FOR A PUBLIC AUDIENCE
What’s missing from online records?
Things that you learn about yourself that you
don’t necessarily want to share with the world

7. PEOPLE THINK JOURNALING
REQUIRES A LONG BLOCK OF TIME
•
Actually, writing down one experience and
one lesson learned on average takes less
than 5 minutes.
•
The test:
•
•
Students self reported how long it took them to
write a Daily Self-Insight.
The average time to write that one thought is
less than 5 minutes.

8. JOURNALING GETS EASIER IF YOU ADD IT TO AN
EXISTING SYSTEM YOU USE
•
•
•
•
•
Dropbox
Evernote
Paper Notebook
Binder
Verbally dictated note to a phone
Using an existing system means that there’s
one less habit you have to create in writing
and storing information about yourself.

9. ONE THOUGHT EVERY DAY ADDS UP TO A LARGE
REPOSITORY OF SELF REALIZATIONS
You can use the repository anytime you need
to make a big life decision.

10. THOUGHTS/FEEDBACK?
Would love to hear it!
 reeta@stanford.edu
