Reflection on Journal ✎

As an assignment for the class, we had to write  ten minutes daily in a journal created by us. As easy as that sounds, we had to follow some rules that made it a bit more challenging. For the first rule, we had to keep our hands moving. We could not cross out. We could not worry about spelling or grammar. At some point we had to lose control. We could not think or get logical. If we could, we had to go for the jugular. With all these rules, sometimes you stopped to think what were you doing wrong and made it challenging.

At first, I’d always try and correct my grammar and spelling, I would cross out, I would think and break all the rules. I’m so used to writing properly that when I tried to write freely I wanted to do it right. But as time passed and the more times I wrote in the journal, I could get the hang of it. I had moments when I wasn’t concentrated on my writing and was getting too logical. There were other moments were I wasn’t stressed or busy and I could let myself go, not worry about anything and could really write freely. The best journal entries were when I was in a good mood and happy. These are the moments when I was more capable of expressing myself rather than when I’m busy or stressed, I was usually reserved and did not even want to write.

Overall, I think my writing process was great. I can say that I learned new things about myself, like; in difficult times I can't stop thinking of all that is happening around me. Also, when I’m in my peaceful times I can free my mind with more ease. This journal helped me to think much faster in English independently, rather than to think in Spanish and traduce to English. I think I will keep practicing this "First Thoughts" activity and keep learning new things about myself.