Journals have been kept by many notable people throughout history for many different purposes. Each journal was personal to the individual who kept it, and important to their personal advancement. To give you an idea of who has kept personal journals, and how they used them, here are a few notable people who have kept journals.

You’ll find that different people throughout history, and some notable names from today use journals for all sorts of different reasons. From drawings to inventions; from historical tracking to songs and poems. You’ll find that these people used journals for their progression, learning, and health. As you learn about the following people, think about how you can use your journal to unlock your own potential.

Marie Curie

Marie Curie’s was the first woman on win a Nobel Prize, the first person wo win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different fields. She pioneered the development of the theory of radioactivity, discovered two elements (polonium and radium), rounded medical research centers still in use today, and developed mobile radiography units to be used in field hospitals. Her journals include drawings, diagrams, notes, ideas, and thoughts. Most interestingly, Marie’s Curie’s notes are radioactive, and are kept in a lead case due to the work that she pioneered.

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin’s works include “The Voyage of the Beagle”, which include his journaled notes aboard the HMS beagle. In his journals you will find sketches, diagrams, scribbles, ideas, and notes.

Leonardo DaVinci

Leonardo DaVinci’s journals have been preserved in over 7,000 pages of notes that he kept. His journals include diagrams, drawings, ideas, and notes. They cover subjects from astronomy to to architecture. In addition, he kept notes about more personal matters. Since he thought that they’d never be published, he also kept notes about things he bought. One of his notes famously includes his preference for pink tights.

Thomas Edison

At the time of his death, Thomas Edison left behind over 5 million pages of notes and journals! His notes included ideas for patents and inventions, drawings, diagrams, and detailed notes about financial deals. He kept to-do lists, and wrote poems and songs as well.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein kept lecture notes, drawings, travel diaries, and drafts. He recorded ideas, and even recorded his earliest thoughts on the Theory of Relativity. Some of his journals are available to look through at the Einstein Papers Collection. “The Road to Relativity” is a book written about Einstein’s notes, and how they evolved to come to the Theory of Relativity. Einstein didn’t know all the answers at the outset, but he kept track of his notes and learned as he went.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a modern actor and producer. He cites journaling as an important aspect to what he does. He states, “I like to write. I’ve gone through different phases in my life of writing in a journal more or less frequently, but it’s something I turn to, especially when I’m trying to work through something that’s vexing me.” His journal is obviously personal to him, and serves as a way to work through different challenges.

Emma Watson

In a 2013 interview, Emma Watson stated, “I don’t know what it is. I’ve always kept and collected things, and I’ve always been interested in the idea of diaries. I must have 10 different personal diaries: I keep a dream diary, I keep a yoga diary, I keep diaries on people that I’ve met and things that they’ve said to me, advice that they’ve given me. I keep an acting journal. I keep collage books.” She uses her journals to track and keep ideas. She actually keeps different journals for different reasons.

Your Ancestors

Beyond historical or culturally significant individuals, personal significant individuals have also kept journals. Your ancestors, some of who may be historically significant, are significant in their own rights. They are your lineage. You literally came through them. As most people keep, and have kept journals, there’s a good chance that your ancestors did too! What do they have to teach you about your heritage? Where you’re from? What can you learn from them?

Your own Journal

What can you you learn from your own journaling? How can you progress and develop? What can you record that will enhance the lives of the people who come after you? What do you need to work through? What potential can you unlock?

Start keeping a journal today! The MAKE ROOM Planner and Journal is a great way to keep a journal and then to design a life based on your ideas that you journal! The framework allows you to keep a journal, record and set your vision, values, and goals, and then design your days to be in alignment with your thoughts and ideas!

Design your life, and live it with purpose!