I kept a diary for 25 years. Just the act of writing things down helps you remember more about your life, even if you don't read it again. It's amazing being a

I kept a diary for 25 years. Just the act of writing things down helps you remember more about your life, even if you don't read it again. It's amazing being able to see exactly what I was doing and thinking about in, say, 1997 or 2003, say, where without it I wouldn't have much idea. But even more important maybe, was reading through recent weeks' entries and frequently becoming aware of patterns I otherwise wouldn't. Like when you complain about something into your diary, then notice you said or felt almost the same thing every week for months, when you had no recollection of that, it really changes your behaviour! You become more informed about the context of today's thoughts and feelings.