One thing Ann Marie and I have found based on our combined 40+ years of experience in the translation world is that the vast majority of us tend to share certain characteristics:

📚 We’re introverts who would rather read a book than mingle at a fancy cocktail with our clients.

💡 We’re thinkers and intellectuals who tend to “live in our heads.” Other humans sometimes have to remind us to snap out of it and remember to live in the moment.

🖊 We’re obsessively perfectionistic and can easily lose a night of sleep over a misplaced comma or even the slightest whiff of criticism from a colleague or client.

These qualities make us excellent at our work. After all, translators must read a lot, mull things over thoroughly, and reread their translations multiple times to get things right.

Yet there’s also a dark side to all this, which is that we tend to ruminate a lot and suffer from “analysis paralysis.” In our not-so-stellar moments, we can easily get stuck, overanalyze things, make mountains out of molehills, and be excessively cautious. In turn, we may fail to take action and lose out on opportunities, whether in the form of a promotion or a better translation client.

Moreover, today AI is calling into question the future of our beloved profession. Many are leaving translation altogether, or reluctantly branching out into a related field. Amid all the doom and gloom, it’s important to take some time out of our busy everyday lives to gain real clarity into our situation and what we should do next.

Enter journalling.

The practice of journalling is about writing, not to “get things right” (which is often our current association with writing, given our background as translators) but to explore, to name the challenges we’re up against, and to let our deep inner knowing take center stage and help us find a way forward.

Precisely for this reason, journalling is a fabulous exercise for translators. Ultimately, it can transform our relationship to writing, helping us to loosen up, enjoy the free flow of thoughts and ideas, make new connections between ideas, and more fully embody our role as creators in our own right.

When I sit down to journal, I often start by asking a question. After getting centered (which I’ll be covering at the end of this article), I allow myself to become an instrument and to let my intuition speak, or rather write, whatever it has to tell me.

The answers that result are both surprising and obvious.

They’re surprising in that the answers tend to be beautiful, profound and personal. If I ask whether I should do X or Y, the answer will often be neither one but rather something I had totally forgotten about. And it’s super helpful, giving me a newfound sense of peace and security.

And yet, when I read over what I’ve written, I also often get the impression I’ve become Joe, Master of the Obvious! My answers feel like a total “duh.” I often find myself saying, “I knew that!” or “Of course—I’ve had this thought before.”

Yet importantly, journalling is never a futile exercise—it enables me to take what’s floating around in my head and set it down on the page—and this act in itself is transformative. My thoughts are crystallized into a realization that always gives me a new sense of focus and forward motion in my life.

Are you spread too thin?

When I feel like I’m being pulled in a thousand different directions, I start feeling frustrated. There are so many tasks to keep up with every day, from emails to housework to family obligations. The list is rolling and endless. And no matter how hard I try, I can never get it all done. I feel like I’m part dad, part translator, part homeowner, and all… nothing.

Journalling can really help with this too. It’s therapeutic—what I tell the journal stays in the journal, so it’s a great place to vent from time to time!

More fundamentally, it helps me remember what’s important in my life, and as a result, I’m better able to reprioritize what matters and let go of (or delegate) some of the rest.

The asking process

An interesting question you might ask is, “How can I know if the answer I got when journalling is actually ‘right’”? It turns out there is a way to help ensure that the answers are coming from your deep inner knowing (however you may wish to refer to it): Simply check if the answer brings you greater peace.

A genuine, soulful answer from your deep knowing will always make you feel more peaceful than before you started journalling. At least, that’s my rule, and it has never let me down.

There are many journalling techniques out there; I’m going to limit myself to how I personally go about journalling for clarity, focus and direction.

📖 The first step is to get a journal—whatever you love to write in. I personally prefer cheapo Walmart composition notebooks because I feel completely free to write whatever I want. When I write in a fancy or expensive journal, I feel like there’s an expectation to write something perfect, and I get a lot less out of the exercise.

🏝 The next step is to find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for 20-30 minutes.

✏ When you sit down to journal, you can write down your questions or frustrations on the page.

🌬 Next, try taking a few deep, relaxed breaths. Clear your mind and release all expectations.

At this point, you’re ready to start writing!

I personally am a big fan of the “never stop writing” technique often cited by writers. Don’t censor yourself, check for grammar or analyze what you’re writing. This isn’t an elementary writing assignment—and editing engages different parts of your brain than writing does. Simply write what comes to mind, and give yourself poetic license.

If the words are less than forthcoming, you can also start by writing your own name. I often answer my own questions with, “Joachim…,” and then let the message come through.

The answer might be long or short, simple or complex, surprising or mundane. But I find it is always insightful and worthwhile.

Here are some insights I have found in my own journalling lately:

“Joachim, don’t worry so much. These things have a way of working themselves out. Remember how you had problem ABC ten years ago? Everything worked out beautifully in the end, didn’t it? Keep on trusting the process.”

"Joachim, I know you think your career focus is super important right now, but that isn’t what matters to me. I don’t care if you translate or work at a local café. I do care that you take the time to get centered every day, that you be kind to everyone who comes across your path, and that you be generous in all that you do. The state of your heart matters a heck of a lot more than the state of your wallet.”

 “Joachim, you translated too much this summer. You’re burned out and need to recover. Do you really need to take on every job that lands in your inbox? Or can you outsource some of it to make some breathing room in your schedule? Let something go. You got this.”

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly encourage you to try out journalling as a way to find clarity, focus and direction in your personal and professional life. If nothing else, this “time out” in your day may help you relax and reconnect with aspects of yourself that you may have neglected or forgotten over time.

It’s a wonderful way to refresh the soul and find much-needed answers when you need them.

P.S.: Thanks for reading! We're offering a free journalling session for anyone who would like to join us on October 10! 👇