--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A journal is a record of experiences and…" description: "\"“A journal is a record of experiences and growth, not a preserve of things well done or said.”\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/henry-david-thoreau-20_well-done_a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and_2071454.jpg" --- # A journal is a record of experiences and growth, not a… ![“A journal is a record of experiences and growth, not a preserve of things well done or said.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/henry-david-thoreau-20_well-done_a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and_2071454.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/henry-david-thoreau-20_well-done_a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and_2071454.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/henry-david-thoreau-20_well-done_a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and_2071454.jpg) > ““A journal is a record of experiences and growth, not a preserve of things well done or said.”” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Journals should capture growth and experience, not just achievements **In simple terms:** Write to track learning, not just successes Key Takeaway Use a journal for reflection and development Themes reflection growth writing Mood introspective thoughtful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - daily logging - creative projects - emotional processing Key Concepts self‑assessment personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What have you learned from recent failures? - How does journaling improve self‑awareness? A Different Perspective Focusing only on growth may neglect celebrating successes ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experiences Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiences-growth-612318/) [Journal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journal/) [Journal Record](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journal-record-4001083/) [Record Experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-experiences-4001084/) [Things Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-said/) [Well done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-done/) ## Related quotes > [The more that I travel, the more people that I meet, the more experiences that are really a testament to the kind of person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zella-day/the-more-that-i-travel-the-more-people-that-i-meet-the-more/) [Zella Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zella-day/) > [I've lived a little bit and traveled the world and experienced a lot of things that I can play any role, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-tucker/i-ve-lived-a-little-bit-and-traveled-the-world-and-experienced-a-lot/) [Chris Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-tucker/) > [Those who have been immersed in the tragedy of massive death during wartime, and who have faced it squarely, never allowing their senses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/those-who-have-been-immersed-in-the-tragedy-of-massive-death-during/) [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) > [For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/for-it-matters-not-how-small-the-beginning-may-seem-to-be-what-is/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name,--if ten honest men only,--ay, if one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-know-this-well-that-if-one-thousand-if-one-hundred-if-ten-men-whom/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What is once well done is done forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-is-once-well-done-is-done-forever/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Could slavery suggest a more complete servility than some of these journals exhibit? Is there any dust which their conduct does not lick, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/could-slavery-suggest-a-more-complete-servility-than-some-of-these/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I do not know but thoughts written down thus in a journal might be printed in the same form with greater advantage than if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-know-but-thoughts-written-down-thus-in-a-journal-might-be-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our thoughts are epochs in our lives; all else is but as a journal of the winds that blow while we are here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-thoughts-are-epochs-in-our-lives-all-else-is-but-as-a-journal-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Suddenly he knew all the things he should have said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/suddenly-he-knew-all-the-things-he-should-have-said/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [“She wants you to see things she's never shown you. She wants you to hear things she's never said. She wants you to spoon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/she-wants-you-to-see-things-she-s-never-shown-you-she-wants-you-to/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Its amazing the things you realize when you lose someone. You get mad at yourself for not saying the things you could have said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-amazing-the-things-you-realize-when-you-lose-someone-you-get-mad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And the air was full of Thoughts and Things to Say. But at times like these, only the Small Things are ever said. Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/and-the-air-was-full-of-thoughts-and-things-to-say-but-at-times-like/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [I think that probably in some areas the Labour message about some of the things that they said we were going to do -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/i-think-that-probably-in-some-areas-the-labour-message-about-some-of/) [Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/) > [I never said most of the things I said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/i-never-said-most-of-the-things-i-said/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Journal quotes > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [I never thought I'd be on the cover of the 'Atlanta Journal' unless I killed someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-robinson/i-never-thought-i-d-be-on-the-cover-of-the-atlanta-journal-unless-i/) [Chris Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-robinson/) > [The reason we have not gone to newspapers is because its a slow growth industry and I think they are dying. I'm not sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-redstone/the-reason-we-have-not-gone-to-newspapers-is-because-its-a-slow/) [Sumner Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumner-redstone/) > [Adam Berenson knows how to compose, organize an ensemble, do musical research, play solo and trio piano, write for musical journals, and enlist others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/adam-berenson-knows-how-to-compose-organize-an-ensemble-do-musical/) [Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The writer who is a mother should, I think, record everything she can: make notes, keep journals, take photographs, use a tape recorder, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-ostriker/the-writer-who-is-a-mother-should-i-think-record-everything-she-can/) [Alicia Ostriker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-ostriker/) > [I will be known forever as the Puppy who chased a cutpurse and caught fish garbage instead. My descendants will pretend I'm not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/i-will-be-known-forever-as-the-puppy-who-chased-a-cutpurse-and-caught/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [Authors of published papers and editors of scientific journals can, unfortunately, be slow to come to terms with criticism, and it's good that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gelman/authors-of-published-papers-and-editors-of-scientific-journals-can/) [Andrew Gelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gelman/) > [Write: write letters. Keep journals. Besides your children, there is no surer way of achieving immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/write-write-letters-keep-journals-besides-your-children-there-is-no/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [I keep a journal. I like myself better when I just pour it out. It's easier sometimes, even if you write on a piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/i-keep-a-journal-i-like-myself-better-when-i-just-pour-it-out-it-s/) [Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/) > [I throw ideas out into the open when I really should just be writing them down in a journal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-deacon/i-throw-ideas-out-into-the-open-when-i-really-should-just-be-writing/) [Dan Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-deacon/) > [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [When I was a kid and my parents started talking about politics, I'd run to my room and put on the Rolling Stones as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cooper/when-i-was-a-kid-and-my-parents-started-talking-about-politics-i-d/) [Alice Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cooper/) > [You will find that every successful entrepreneur has suffered many setbacks. These entrepreneurs just forget to mention these when they are doing interviews with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-wadhwa/you-will-find-that-every-successful-entrepreneur-has-suffered-many/) [Vivek Wadhwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-wadhwa/) > [“There were times, in the beginning, when I used my journal as a wailing wall, but I learned not to immortalize the darkness. Rereading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-theroux/there-were-times-in-the-beginning-when-i-used-my-journal-as-a-wailing/) [Phyllis Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-theroux/) [Browse all 670 Journal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A journal is a record of experiences and growth, not a preserve of things well done or said.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and-growth-not-a-preserve-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Journal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and-growth-not-a-preserve-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/henry-david-thoreau-20_well-done_a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and_2071454.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/henry-david-thoreau-20_well-done_a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and_2071454.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/henry-david-thoreau-20_well-done_a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and_2071454.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A journal is a record of experiences and growth, not a preserve of things well done or said.” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A journal is a record of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and-growth-not-a-preserve-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-journal-is-a-record-of-experiences-and-growth-not-a-preserve-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```