Keeping journals is one of the most important things you can do to observe and continuously improve your life.A Dream JournalAt first you may want to start with a simple dream journal. The more you attempt (if you have trouble) to remember your dreams, the more your brain will train itself to access those levels of memory, it will actually become easier. The key is consistency though, as soon as you allow the memories to fade, they will become less prominent and therefore less easily accessed. Imagine how quickly the dreams fade from view, as you wake up and begin integrating into the actions of the daily routine.So you keep the journal, a pen/pencil and pad/paper, a computer, or a tape recorder/video tape. Any thing you can do to record your experiences will improve your ability to do so in the future, even running through the experiences in your mind, or telling the story to a friend. Eventually you will begin to remember each dream, in detail, from the moment you wake up You may want to keep a pad on you throughout the day, as you usually begin a snowballing effect as soon as you start the remembering process as certain events and triggers cause your dreams to resurface minutes to hours later.You have on average about 5-6 dreams a night, every night. How many of them do you remember? There are what you could call classes of dreams, some are based on pure release for the conscious mind, due to inspirations or desires which could not be purged during the day. Kind of like a playground to let out the pent up energy. Other dreams have a deeper meaning. They may be indicative of some kind of underlying emotional or intellectual aspect of yourself, which seeks expression and acknowledgment. Yet other dreams seem to have a prophetic aspect, where they are a warning, a foreshadowing, or a hint of what lies ahead. Pay attention to that, and you may be dreaming the future in no-time.All dream experiences are based on metaphor and can only truly be defined by the dreamer.A Diet JournalThe next (or first) step is to keep your very own diet journal. To watch and record everything you intake, no matter how small, no matter the time or event. Record everything you eat and drink, and you will notice trends. You will see where cravings become prominent and actually change your behavior (this observation comes full circle with the advent of the Daily Journal). You will see where and what you eat too much of, where this is imbalance, and how you could easily create a cycle/menu to consistently intake the required nutrients without having to search for something to eat, or settle for something less than desirable.It begins with wake up, and the first meal/drink of the day, and moves from then on, with each snack, drink (water may be excluded, up to you), and portion. Until you have a full idea of what goes in (and out) of you during the course of a week to a month. Eventually the trends will spell themselves, and when or if you've been following the Daily Journal you will notice the correlations in diet and your energy and mood. Healthy eating is key, key to healthy thinking and dreaming, which is key to creating a positive future.A Daily JournalThis is one of the most important forms of journalism. What you write in this journal will depict your emotions, your dreams, and the effects of your diet all in one. Starting when you wake up, after the completion of the daily dream journal entry (which is often completed throughout the day as the dreams resurface), it is the reflection of how you feel, your mood and what you seek to get done for the day.Goals, decisions, and perceptions can be recorded here as soon as you are fully awake and ready to begin thinking and planning ahead. Make the goals suitable for one day, and at the end of the day, look back and see how far you've gotten. If you haven't made improvement, then set lower goals so that you may complete them in the given time.After an activity, after exercise, or after a creative experience, you may want to write in this journal.Instead of trying to remember (which will also, come as you go....or...it will become easier the more you practice) all at once at the end of the day, keeping a pad and pen on you is handy. Or being around a computer to take notes which will help keep everything ready to be expanded on.This is an important practice for the brain, it activates creative centers and improves the function of memory creation and recall. More-so, you will have a different view of yourself, almost from a third person perspective, the more you record your life in this manner. Whether video, music, expressive, creative, journalism, informative, etc, it will allow you to see yourself.So it accelerates the learning process, wherever you are, in the most important field, You.Eventually you will have a better idea of where your faults lie, what you are addicted to (even unknowingly), what you don't spend enough time on, what you are ignoring and don't want to write about, and much more. It's a very fun process and it will tell you about yourself.