Journal vs Diary vs Planner: What's the Difference?
written by Ana
posted on Oct 21, 2022
If you’re on the way to becoming more organized and want to learn how to tackle your to-do lists every time, then you might be interested in getting some kind of a notebook to write everything down.
Any online shop or stationery store will have thousands of options. Most likely, you will end up deciding whether you should get a journal, diary or planner.
But aren’t they the same? Let’s find out!
The real difference between a journal, diary and a planner
We summarised the main points in the table below.
|
Journal |
Diary |
Planner |
|
a record of experiences ideas, or reflections |
a daily record of activities, reflections or feelings |
a notebook for scheduling daily appointments and things to be done |
|
both personal and professional |
only personal |
both personal and professional |
|
occasional entries |
somewhat daily entries by the dates |
daily entries by the dates and times |
Now, let’s talk about each notebook in more detail.
You all probably know the definitions of all three notebooks so I will just briefly remind you of them.
A journal is a notebook usually with blank pages where you can write down your random thoughts, ideas, memories, worries etc whenever you feel like it.
Some people like to keep a daily journal where they can write down their feelings, thoughts and ideas. While others reach out for the journal to do a writing exercise that requires writing about anything until 3 pages are filled with text.
How much time you should spend journaling depends on what goals you have. I personally reach out to my journal when I am feeling overwhelmed with my studies or have personal issues that I can’t resolve. I have noticed that taking at least 15 minutes out of my day to write down my worries does wonders for my mental health!
Keep a diary, and someday it’ll keep you.
A diary is a book where you write about events as they happen. It might not necessarily start with the phrase “Dear Diary”, but it does resemble conversations with a close friend. The perfect example is “The Diary of a Young Girl” written by Anne Frank.
Possibly, it is the most famous diary ever written. Anne gets a diary as her 14th birthday present and was writing about her family’s experience during the occupation and two years of hiding in an Amsterdam warehouse during World War II.
A planner is a notebook where you keep a record of appointments, tasks, projects, travels and contacts. It usually comes with weekly, monthly and yearly overviews so you can see the bigger picture.
That way you can stay on top of your appointments and events on a daily or weekly schedule.
Usually, you get a few lines for each day of the week which is enough for writing down the times of your appointments and meetings. Sometimes it does come with a few pages at the end of the notebook for notes. However, usually, there is not enough room to write all you want.
I got my Legend Planner as a gift for Christmas two years ago and I love it! It comes with stickers that make it fun to fill in and helps you to stay on track. I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Is there a difference between a diary and a journal?
Generally, the words diary and journal are often used interchangeably, but these two books are used for different purposes. The main difference is that a diary is a book where you make daily entries by the dates on a calendar describing events and experiences that happened on that day. A journal is a notebook where you can write your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and ideas whenever you want that can be analyzed later.
Commonly people keep diaries for personal use only and don’t share it with anyone. Journal can be used for work and career as well as personal goals. For example, in my diary, I would write about events that happened on a specific day and how I felt about them. In my journal, I can write about my dreams, aspirations, plan for the day or new business ideas.
Can you use a planner as a journal?
It is possible to journal in a planner if it comes with a large format week view. You could note down to-dos for each day of the week first and leave the rest of the lines empty for reflection. You can use these lines to write down how you felt that day, keep track of your exercises and adding a few things you are grateful for is always a great idea.
Which is better: a diary or a journal?
It depends on what your goals are. If you purely want to write only personal feelings and thoughts as they happen, then it is better to keep a diary. On the other hand, if you want to keep personal records but with bigger picture reflection and aspiration, then it is better to get a journal.
TIP: What can help you to decide which notebook is best for you is trying to imagine whether you could show it to anyone.
If you can’t show it to anyone at any cost, that means that you are keeping a diary. A journal is a place for your personal growth, so you could possibly share what you wrote with other people like a professional coach or your friend.
Adriana and I also keep a wellbeing journal which we are happy to share with everyone! It’s our weekly newsletter, so if you fancy a read, you can sign up for it here.
Let us know in the comments section down below if you keep a journal, diary or a planner! Share your experience with others!
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Happy Journaling:)
With better awareness, better results
A&A
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