At the beginning of each year, our thoughts turn to resolutions. What shall we resolve to do this year? Do I really expect to follow through with my resolutions? Just the process of considering New Year’s resolutions causes us to focus--on changes we want to make, on what we feel sad that we haven’t done so far in our lives or on the ideas and projects we’re excited about right now. That focus is a very good thing.

No matter what you want to do with your life this year, keeping a journal will give you great joy. It will help you sort through your thoughts and decide what your priorities are. A journal provides a wonderful historical record of your life, with its successes and near misses.

The sky’s limit when it comes to the type of journal that seniors have to choose from. It can be something as simple as a 3-ring binder and notebook paper. In fact, I really favor this type for my learning journal. I write my original daily thoughts on the right side of the binder and then use the facing left-hand page (actually the back of the previous page) to come back later and write additional notes or glue in pictures, news articles or anything that relates to my current learning project. A binder may not be as aesthetically pleasing as some journals, but it is practical and offers great flexibility. I love mine and simply start another binder when the current one begins to bulge and will no longer lay flat.

If you enjoy working with papers, you can make your own journal. Here your artistic talents can reign supreme. There are literally hundreds of ready made journals to buy. You may choose a simple colorful cover with blank pages inside or a beautifully bound leather volume. Themed journals abound. Among your choices are writing journals with daily notes about authors or writing prompts, gardening journals with beautiful floral pages and travel journals with soft backgrounds evoking far away places .

Whatever your passion, whether it’s photography, writing, grandchildren, dogs, cats or birds, cooking, walking, travel or just living the senior life to its fullest, keeping a journal will expand and enrich the days spent pursuing your goals.

So, as the New Year begins, start your search for an inspiring journal to record your adventure through the 365 days to come. You will be so glad you recorded this year’s journey and you'll look back through your journal at year’s end with a sense of accomplishment, an understanding of what you left undone and an eagerness to begin another year. Journaling will most certainly become one of your senior life’s true pleasures.