Some of the most influential people in history kept detailed journals of their lives. Those journals served two purposes: a permanent record for posterity, and cathartic release for the people writing them. Even if you don't think you need either, keeping a journal has benefits you can enjoy immediately. Here's why you might want to sit down regularly to jot down your thoughts.

If you want to remember your dreams, a dream journal is the way to go. However, if you have trouble recounting your dreams as you're writing, try writing in present tense, like it's a story that's happening to you right now.

Jack London said every writer should keep a notebook. "Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it," London said. "Lead pencil markings endure longer than memory." It's sage advice, but then again, Jack London didn't have Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or OneNote. This week, we test the classic battle of man versus machine to see which is better for journaling.

iOS: There is no shortage of apps for writing down your thoughts, but many writing and note-taking apps suffer from feature bloat that impedes the actual writing. Just Open & Type forgoes the unnecessary stuff and lives up to its name.

Journaling might seem silly on the surface, but a journal is extremely useful as both a permanent record of your thoughts and as a cathartic release. Regardless of how you plan to use a journal, our favourite on the iPhone is Day One.

Android/iPhone: Journaling apps are typically about capturing moments or getting your thoughts down on paper as often as you can. Life Calendar takes a slightly different approach, and instead works as means to memorialise a week at a time.

If you still enjoy reading non-digital magazines, you probably know they can become a clutter nuisance if left unattended. The beautiful photos, glossy pages and book-like form makes it easier to get attached to them. These tips will help you prune your collection, while saving the stuff you love.

iOS: When it comes to journaling apps on iPhone, it's hard to beat Day One. Not everyone needs the complexity offered from Day One though, and if something a little simpler is more your thing, Ipsum is well worth a look.

We all learn a lot of things throughout the day and some of those things are more meaningful than others. Over on Hacker News, user jbranchaud started tracking what he learned over the course of a year.

iOS/Mac: Day One has long been the go-to journaling app for Apple devices. It's feature rich, well designed and consistently updated. Today, a new version launches for both iOS and Mac with a few added features and a new price tag.

Moleskine's notebooks are some of our favourites, and today the company is taking the wraps off "Moleskine Pro", a reboot of the original with some added features designed for productivity. The new notebooks feature detachable to-do lists, adhesive tabs for organisation, numbered pages and a table of contents.

iPhone: We know that journalling is a great way to increase your self-awareness, but it's tough to do sometimes. Moodnotes is a new app that makes it easy to track your mood, drop in some journal notes, and help you develop a little more perspective on yourself.

Many of us have a bad habit of analysing a social situation to death. Maybe it's a job interview question you bombed. Maybe you stuck your foot in your mouth with a friend. Whatever the scenario, writing about it can help you stop overthinking.

It's a good idea to keep a daily journal, but the words flow better for some than others. If you're not sure what to write about in your daily journal, use these tips as a starting point.

Biographies go deep into their subject's lives so readers can examine and evaluate everything that went on. By writing your own biography, you can get a powerful glimpse at who you really are, how you might be perceived, and how you can be better.

Making fitness excuses is like farting in public. Whether you like it or not, you'll probably do it at some point. By keeping a fitness journal and understanding the psychology behind excuses, you can catch them before they develop.

Journalling boosts creativity and helps you reflect, but it can be time-consuming to write a page or two every single day. If you don't feel like you have time to journal regularly, start a "single-sentence journal".

The Chronodex is a graphical way of visualising and keeping tabs on your time every day. For very visual people, this might be the perfect system for adding more accountability to your activities and motivate you to use your time better.

Android: We know that keeping a journal has benefits to your health and creativity. Better Diary, unlike most apps, is geared towards self-reflective journalling.