Writing

I've been doing a lot more writing over the past year and a half then I normally do and while it hasn't really improved my grammar it has improved how I see the different writing styles and tools out there. I have learned that writing can help me in all sorts of ways.

Do you journal? I have never gotten into it. Over the years I have been given notebook after notebook, diary after diary but have never quite been able to get into the habit of writing my thoughts down in them. This past year though I've given some thought to the whole concept of journaling more often as I've seen the way it can be helpful in spiritual formation.

Another form of writing comes with school and that is of course the dreaded paper writing :). I do a lot of that these days in a whole variety of formats - research, essay, sermons etc...The exercise of writing these things out helps me clarify what I've learned and put some structure around it.

Possibly my favourite form of writing is the all-powerful list. I love writing out things to do, grocery lists, what I'm going to do when (insert activity or milestone here). These are my chief form of organization and a tool that consistently helps me feel more in control of any given situation and my role in it - even when it's my own situation.

What kind of writing do you do? Does it help clarify, bring a feeling of control, or is it another exercise to get through? For me sometimes it's any and all of the above.