Journal keeping is not just another way for LDS leaders to make Mormons feel guilty. As with so many things encouraged by the Church, it's there to bless us. I've been especially blessed by the journals of ancestors who told me important things about their lives and their adventure in faith.
I am also blessed, though perhaps less richly so, by having kept a journal from my early days, including my days in 7th grade. My journal from that awkward era is filled with snippets of wisdom like: "Tuesday. Kept my goal of not thinking about **** [girl's name] at all today." Completely missed the irony of that entry as I wrote it. There's nothing quite like reviewing your life and seeing how foolish you were, a review that for me creates the hopeful sensation that maybe I'm less foolish now because my mistakes have taken on a completely different flavor.
May your journal keeping pick up a bit so that your posterity and loved ones (hopefully there is some overlap between the two groups) will better understand you and learn from your journey.
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