Some tips for writing a reflective diary

Do you need to submit a reflective statement for some coursework or CPD?

Are you struggling with getting started with a reflective diary?

Read on for some tips that might just help you...

Some professional bodies require members to reflect on training activity in order to maintain their Chartered Status (for example, the Chartered Institute of Marketing). However, if you’ve been a manager for more than 10 years, it is unlikely that you would have been taught how to write reflectively. I've recently completed a large piece of research that was based on my own reflective writing and the following tips are based on what I found worked for me. I hope they are helpful to get you started.

There is no one ‘best’ or ‘correct’ way to write a journal or write reflectively. It is personal to you. Just make sure that you are writing as honestly as you can – if you don’t, you are only deceiving yourself, no one else. Write so it is useful to you and that it helps you in your process of reflection and process of learning.

Think about how you will record your diary: 

• Most people use a notebook of some description, whether it is a beautifully bound hardback book or a spiral-bound notepad. I actually collated my journal by email. 
• Don't get too hung up about when to write. Use up those odd moments of time when they come. I write entries on my phone when I am on the tube or between meetings.
• Some find audio recording a very useful way to get things stored quickly and there is the extra dimension of capturing intonations and emotion within the spoken word. Software such as Otter.ai will convert this into text format if you prefer.
• You could even use diagrams, photos, and pictures if that helps you tell your story. 
• Assume you are writing only for yourself but that you might be wanting to communicate it to a confidante. That also means you need to keep it in a safe place as you may not want your line manager or colleagues to flick through it! 
• Turn off the internal ‘editor’ – it really does not matter if the grammar is not perfect or if you cannot spell something – just go with the flow! All that matters is that you will understand it when you look back at your entry in a few months’ time. 
• The most important thing is to get everything written down as soon as possible. I find that I forget so many important issues even by the end of the day, so I keep a notebook to hand to jot reminders for when I write up my diary for the day. 
• I prefer to write where I can in chronological order, as it brings some form of order to my account. However, there is nothing to stop you from writing about key events/critical incidences only or focusing on what comes into mind first. It is your diary! 
• If you find yourself going off on a tangent, see where it leads! Some of my ‘best’ reflections have been when I consider a theme or think widely about a particular issue that I am having difficulty with and I just let my pen write what it wants.
• Consider using this simple structure if you're writing for CPD purposes: What? So What? Now what?
• What? Describe what happened
• So What? Why does it matter?
• Now What? What are you going to do differently as a result?

Do you have any tips for keeping a reflective diary/journal? I would love to hear them!