Interview Yourself

A Word With Marty: "JOURNAL"

Traveling to Gain Insight? You may gain more at home

To try to gain insight or solve a big problem, many people journey. It could be as short as a quick stroll or as long as a pilgrimage to the East.

Of course, some people return richly rewarded, whether with clarity on the career they should pursue, the relationship they should end, or a broader vision for their life: less materialistic or the converse—deciding that the life of idealistic poverty is more romantic as portrayed in the movies than in reality.

But across my many clients who have traveled for insight, most return empty. Yesterday, a client reported on his solo hiking getaway to June Lake, which is in a remote part of California. He said, "I’m still stuck, completely stuck.”

My Psychology Today article today offers some activities you can do without leaving home that my clients have found more helpful. Note that unlike journeying, in which the person tends to expect insight to just pop into mind, in these activities, you are actively working on the problem and so are more likely to generate something of value. Also, journeying has distractions: nature, tourist sites, etc. Each of the activities can be done at home, making it easier to focus on the problem.

Journaling for Personal Growth A powerful, deceptively simple tool for self-improvement

Journaling can be a powerful self-help tool. My PsychologyToday.com article today offers seven tips that can help maximize its utility.

In-the-Moment Journaling

Sure, counselors have special training and may be able to see you more objectively than you can. But journaling offers advantages: You’re not ceding agency to anyone, the counselor’s biases can’t creep in, you may know yourself better than a counselor does, you can use your journal more than weekly, and no matter how many “sessions” you choose have, they're free.

There is a variation on journaling that I believe is superior and, to my knowledge, hasn’t been proposed. My PsychologyToday.com article today describes it.