I. Why am I writing this post?
Despite how adorable the bullet journals, planners, and notebooks look on Pinterest, most of my attempts at journaling on my own looked like something created at a child’s afterschool program. No shame, but it wasn’t at all what I envisioned when I sat back and looked at it, and it was incredibly discouraging.
In truth, I began my journaling journey (say that 5 times fast) without any real guidance. I would sit in front of a blank page and experience a crippling amount of decision paralysis. There was so much to write, so little time, and I knew on a very real level that I was likely to write in this book once and promptly forget about it.
Now that I’m much further into my journaling habit, I’m able to share my mistakes and hangups, successes, and advice. I’ve composed this blog entry in hopes of offering you, dear reader, guidance on where to start (and how to continue) journaling.
II. The Basics: What makes a journal?
A journal, for the purposes of this post, is a collection of written personal information. This can vary from plans for the day or week, to thoughts, feelings, narratives, notes or experiences. What goes into a journal is completely up to you. These writings (also called ‘entries’) can be kept in a notebook, a binder, or even digitally (in your phone’s notes section, for example). I don’t know about Android devices, but I know iPhones now come with a built-in journaling app. Regardless – there aren’t super strict rules for what makes a journal, a journal.
III. Why is journaling important?
Journaling is a wonderful practice to establish for a number of reasons:
- It’s a creative outlet for expression
- It can help you build a daily gratitude routine
- Documenting your goals makes them more tangible
- It serves as a tracker for habits to keep you consistent
- It can improve your overall mental health
- It aids in developing emotional regulation
- It acts as a reference point for important notes
IV. The Steps To Building A Journaling Habit:
Start Simple & Cheap
Before I get to anything else, you should know right away: There is no secret to what makes a good journal. Finding a journal that suits your specific needs is key. With so many options and customizations nowadays, choosing the right medium can be super overwhelming.
My best piece of advice to you is this: start simple and cheap.
Give yourself 30 days with a simple notebook. It can be anything from a legal pad to a back-to-school composition.
I started with the 1-3 dollar spiral-bound college-ruled notebook. It was off-brand (I think it came from Walmart), incredibly flimsy and not at all what I envisioned my journal looking like.
However –
It was a starting point. I didn’t feel like it was a waste of money, either, because I didn’t drop too much on something that had the slight potential of being thrown away.
One of my least favorite feelings throughout this journaling adventure was buying a super fancy, super-fun-looking journal and not wanting to put a single thing into it because it was so nice and new and I didn’t want to mess it up by using it.
So again, I’ll say it – start somewhere super basic. We’ll get to the fancier mediums later.
Pick (only) 3 things to put in your daily journal entry.
I’ve outlined a handful in this section but I only want you to pick 3 to start.
- To-do list
- Diary entry (emotions/experiences)
- Important dates
- Gratitude list
- Braindump/stress purge
- Generalized goals
- SMART goals
- Mood tracker
- Water intake tracker
- Meal prep/planning
- How did you sleep last night?
- What did you dream about last night?
- Positive affirmations
- Notes section
- Song lyrics
Set Intentional Reminders
This part is essential – this is where we jog our memory when life gets in the way
I’m not one who leaves notebooks or planners lying around, mostly because I have a cat who will eat them). So it’s become natural for me to stow my journal away.
But what good is a journal if I never go back to asses the things I’ve written and add more to it?
This is where most people use the journal itself as a visual reminder –
I personally have more success using sticky notes and reminders on my phone. Regardless of what works best for you, implement intentional reminders. Set an alarm for a specific time of day that you can dedicate to your journaling time. Put a sticky note on the fridge or the bathroom mirror. It seems trivial at first, but if it’s helpful and it works, then who cares?
Make it something you look forward to
Positive association matters, people!
If we always journal when we’re stressed out, we’re going to associate the task of journaling with stress. The same rules apply the other way around.
Make your favorite snack or drink, turn on your favorite music, get cozy, or get ready for your day – do something that makes you feel good in addition to journaling.
Make journaling a pleasant part of your day.
Stick to your commitment for at least 30 days
You’ve chosen your 3 topics/sections for the first attempts at journaling. Now you have to stick with the promise you’ve made to yourself. Set your reminders, dedicate your time and space. Sit down and slip into your own brain for about 15-30 minutes.
You can absolutely journal for longer, this is just my personal recommendation. This is what works best for me.
After the 30-day mark, Upgrade your journal & add more sections
I definitely feel like a lot of people get carried away by the idea of journaling and making it cute and unique. But –
We don’t get the journal in our hands and immediately start coloring all over it and adding stickers and decorating the outside until it’s just right. This kind of goes hand in hand with spending too much time looking for that perfect medium when the perfection of the journal is actually the inside (after you’ve given it life).
However, when the time comes to purchase a nice, new journal:
Be *that* person that stands in front of all the quirky lil’ notebooks in Target for an hour, flip through all of the pages, and get a feel for what you want to work with. Once you actually purchase a journal that you intend to stick with, you’re the person who has to look at it every time you break it out (which is hopefully every day).
Make sure it’s something that makes you happy.
In the 2nd month of journaling, you’re still getting into the swing of things: this is when you can start adding other sections. But only add 1 category / section per day.
I don’t recommend having more than 10 total sections all said and done, and honestly that’s on the super high end. That’s getting into having 2 or more pages per journal entry. Which is totally fine! But again, we want to start small, we want to keep it simple. Work your way up to that, and only if you think you’ll benefit from having that many things to work with within your journal.
V. Commonly Asked Questions
What are the benefits of a physical journal over a digital one?
I wouldn’t say that there are really ‘benefits’ of a physical journal vs a digital journal – or the other way around.
It depends entirely on you, what you’re more likely to engage with daily, and what feels best for your practice.
That being said, there are pros and cons to either, I suppose.
For example, a physical journal is a more sensory-based activity. This is a pro for people who enjoy the hands-on engagement, but could be considered a con for people who don’t want unnecessary clutter. It’s about perspective and personal preference.
Do I have to section my journal?
Absolutely not. If you want to freehand your thoughts and feelings and scribbles all throughout your journal, go for it. This blog post is intended to be a journaling guide of sorts and as a result, discusses sectioning the journal into tangible pieces.
But again, it’s your journal. Do what makes you happy.
Combine the two practices, even! Freehand the sections. Talk about your mood, water intake, the dreams you had last night, and do so as if you’re writing a letter to a friend. There is no wrong answer here.
Why 30 days?
As of recent research, it takes a person approximately 66 days to build or break a habit. That’s accounting for the low end of 18 days, to the high end of almost a year.
But it did not take me two months to get into the habit of journaling daily.
Keep in mind that writing is a very significant passion of mine, which gives me an advantage when it comes to this particular habit. If we were getting on a stationary bike every day, I would need closer to that year mark to make it a habit. Just saying.
All this to say – the 30-day mark is a roundabout point at which I feel like I established a solid ground for my journaling habit. That’s why it stands as my advice to you. If you need longer, that’s fine. If you establish your habit in less time, also fine.
To Summarize:
-Give yourself 30 days of committed practice.
-First, start with a simple notebook (for the first 30 days)
-Decide on 3 things to journal about daily.
-Set reminders on your phone, add sticky notes in important places
-Remember positive association! Make some coffee or listen to music while you journal.
-Wait until your second month of journaling to complicate things. (customizations/topics)
Thanks so much for joining me throughout this post.
As always, I’ll ask that you leave a comment or question below.
Did you enjoy this post? Did you hate it? Do you journal? Are you going to start journaling soon?
I want to know all the things.
Hope to see you around for the next post.
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