Some of the best work from history's greatest writers has been pulled from their personal journals or diaries, rather than from their published works.

Any accomplished writer will tell you that talent is augmented by always writing, no matter what the outlet. Even if you think you had a boring day, by freewriting a journal entry about it, you could stumble upon a whole new avenue or idea that you hadn't previously considered for a piece.

So your goal isn't to become the next John Steinbeck? That works too. Use your journal to keep a stream-of-consciousness history of your life. There's a lot to be said for being able to easily look back at what you were doing two, five, or ten years ago. Depending on how vigilant you are with your entries, you could very well be providing your family with a great resource to keep updated on your life.

Your journal can take on many different angles. Maybe you want to keep a dream journal? Maybe your journal exists to keep track of a goal or set of goals - you could record your progress every step of the way. Even if your prerogative is just to account for your every day life, the benefit of having that kind of personal record is priceless.