Want to be like Oprah? Well, keep a diary and grow with it

What does Oprah Winfrey have in common with World War II General George S. Patton?

Being an avid diarist. In a recent issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, Winfrey offered her readers glimpses into her diaries and encouraged them to keep their own.

Many well-known figures throughout history, from former US President John Adams to pop artiste Andy Warhol, have faithfully kept records of their daily lives.

Undoubtedly, some have had an eye toward securing their place in history with their devotion to journaling. But aside from the quest for immortality, are there any real benefits to keeping a diary? There are. In particular, there are four reasons for keeping a work diary: focus, patience, planning and personal growth.

Switched careers

A former student, Sarah Kauss, recently wrote that the journal she was required to keep in an MBA course led to a daily practice that she found invaluable when she switched careers from consultant to entrepreneur.

At first, Sarah rebelled at the idea of keeping a journal: “At the time, as a busy MBA student, this seemed uncomfortable and time-consuming,” she said.

“I needed to be working and networking, not taking time to write about perceptions and feelings. Or so I thought.”

But she soon realised how journaling helped her both personally and professionally. Here, she highlights the first three benefits: “Journaling about work has given me the focus to identify my strengths and the activities that bring me the greatest joy.

“Surprisingly, the least glamorous tasks of my professional career to date have been some of my career highlights. I have gleaned many lessons about where I can be most engaged and therefore most successful in the workplace.

“Journaling has also given me patience and sharpened my ability to plan. Although it can seem that I’m making only baby steps of progress — and, yes, sometimes going sideways or even backwards before moving forward — my journal is an independent arbiter.

“I am always encouraged to look back (at) know how far I have come in a year’s time, and how major obstacles seem to become minor speed bumps in hindsight.

“This record gives me great patience and perspective when new challenges come my way. Even now as a busy entrepreneur, I can’t imagine not taking a few moments at the end of each day to record in my journal the progress made and my hopes and plans for the next phases of success.” Research confirms Sarah’s belief in the value of reflecting on and writing about daily experiences. Experiments by psychologist James Pennebaker and others have revealed that writing about traumatic or stressful events promotes stronger physical health, a greater sense of well-being and an ability to find employment more quickly after being laid off.

In our own research on how events at work influence people and their performance, we asked over 200 workers to send us a diary report every day throughout a complex project they were undertaking. We reaped some surprising findings, and the participants also made some surprising discoveries about themselves.

New perspective