ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the journal-keeping practice of one graduate student who has used journal keeping to manage research projects as well as teaching functions in his role as a teaching assistant. It presents cases of individuals who have been keeping a journal in their professional lives for many years. The cases can teach us about how to lead a saner and more centered professional life. They show how professionals balance a complex array of roles and tasks through time-tested and individualized journal-keeping practices. These cases contain the wisdom of seasoned and successful professionals, those who have met the many challenges of their jobs and found creative ways to process their work-life events. Most of the journal keepers use their journals to review and reflect on their work and their roles within their organizations.
