Getting started journaling isn’t something that you need to think about too hard. Yes, there are numerous types and styles of journals (including those in my store!) and ways to do this that may or may not be more effective depending on your goals, but you can simply get some paper (or your computer) and get started today.
Dust Off Your Pen and Paper
You don’t need anything special to keep a journal; purists believe that using pen and paper is the best way to journal because handwriting your thoughts is the best way to release them. You can do that on a tablet too.
Do It First Thing in the Morning
Don’t procrastinate about keeping your journal. It’s best to do it in the morning before you begin your day so that you have the right frame of mind for the day. Especially if you reflect on your goals in your journaling practice. Plus, you only need five to ten minutes, so it’s not that big of a deal.
Do It Last Thing at Night
Another time to do it is before bed. This works especially well for gratitude journals, or to release stress. That way you can go to sleep thinking about all the things you are grateful for instead of things you’re worried about.
Write Every Single Day
Whenever you choose to do it, try to set it up so that it becomes a ritual and a habit. Journaling every single day is going to be more effective than just doing it when you feel like it.
Start Simply
Don’t start being worried about style and substance right now; just work on the daily habit. Think about using something that is close to you each day like your smartphone. Don’t make it hard – just get going.
Begin with Today
Start right now and write about your day today. That’s the easiest thing to do. What of significance happened today? How did you feel about it? What would you do differently? What would you do the same?
Try Different Types of Journals
Once you develop the habit, you can start trying different types of journaling like a bullet journal, or a vision journal, or maybe even a project journal for your next project.
Keep It Private
The main thing to remember about your journal is that it should be kept private. The only exception is if you want to share thoughts with a therapist, counsellor, or coach. Or if you want to turn it into a book or course, to help someone else overcome whatever you overcame.
Make It Public
Do you want to get the wider public to keep you accountable in writing daily? A blog can work well for a journal, though you may prefer to keep that focused on particular subjects, like a project.
Keeping a journal will help you deal with the things that happen to you as well as the things that have not happened to you. The main reason is that writing it down helps you remember what you did right and what you did wrong. It helps you improve your decision-making capacity for similar situations. The main thing is just to get started journaling in any way that works for you.
