Journaling is a wonder-habit that holds many benefits for those who are willing to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) on a regular basis. For many of us, though, getting started is the hardest part of the process. Journaling is a huge topic that covers many different kinds of activities, and with so much choice it can be difficult to know where to start.
Your journaling can be whatever you want it to be. It doesn’t need to be grammatically correct, or even make sense. You also don’t need to stick to a particular style of writing; some people enjoy stream-of-consciousness journaling, while others prefer making lists, collages, drawing, or a combination.
You can find out more about different journaling techniques in my book, The Ultimate Guide to Journaling, however below I’m going to share a few ideas around how you can get started with a regular journaling practice and begin to experience the amazing benefits it offers.
If you’d like more, you can check out the free video class and accompanying PDF on this topic in the Becoming Who You Are Library.
1. The Best Way to Get Started is to Start
You have all the resources you need to start journaling now—and you certainly will after this post! Whenever we start a new habit or practice, it’s easy to get caught up in the “research” stage, finding out everything we can about the new activity, when what we really need to do is just dive in.
Writers write, painters paint, and journalers journal! The best way to get started is to start: get comfortable with being a beginner, open your notebook or journaling software, and get writing.
If you’re finding that, whenever you sit down to journal, your mind becomes as blank as the page in front of you, then that’s exactly what you need to journal about: write about your blank mind, how you feel about it, your fears and frustrations, and see where this path of inquiry takes you.
2. Choose Your Format
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to journal; the most important thing is that you find a way of journaling that works for you. This includes thinking about the format in which you want to journal. We typically think of journaling as being a pen and paper experience, but you can also use online journaling services, digital journaling software, smartphone and tablet apps, or a combination of all of the above.
Each different type of journaling has its own benefits, so experiment and see what feels right for you, your needs, and your lifestyle.
3. Choose Your Tools
Having said the best way to get started is to start, the best way to stay started is to use tools you enjoy using. Invest in a notebook and pen you love (or, if you’re using a digital journaling tool, find one that is intuitive and pleasant to use).
Some people adore using $0.99 notebooks, while others like to look around and invest on a notebook that is exactly the right size, weight, and binding. Equally, some people are happy writing with any old pen, while others prefer to have a special “journaling pen” to make the process more ritualized.
As with the format, experiment and notice which notebooks, writing implements, software and apps make the experience special for you. At the same time, be mindful of whether you’re using this to delay starting to journal. If you find yourself zig-zagging back and forth from one option to another, challenge yourself to choose one and stick with that for a couple of months.
4. Consistency Over Quantity
One of the biggest barriers to journaling that people experience is not having enough time. The idea that you need to set aside an hour, or even half-an-hour, to journal might not only seem unrealistic but also deter you from beginning in the first place.
As you start out, start small. Try beginning with a regular check-in practice each morning or evening that doesn’t take too long and doesn’t require much brain power. Points to cover on your check-in could include:
• Things I’m most grateful for from today…
• Lessons learned today…
• Things I’m most looking forward to tomorrow…
• How I want to feel tomorrow…
• Any unfinished business I want to attend to tomorrow…
Whatever journaling style or method you choose, remember that consistency is better than quantity. Sitting down and writing for five minutes each day will be more helpful for starting a regular journaling practice than sitting down to write for 60 minutes once a week.
5. Create a Ritual Around Your Writing
Journaling can become a habit. Like any habit, it can be positively influenced by ritual. Your ritual might look like journaling in a certain place in your home, making a cup of tea (maybe even the same kind of tea) before you sit down to write, using mantras or affirmations to focus your mind, or enjoying a few minutes of meditation to clear your mind.
Especially while you’re starting out, try to journal at the same time each day. For most of us, this will be in the morning or the evening. Deciding on a time of day and sticking to it will help integrate journaling into your daily routine.
Beginning and/or ending a journaling session with a ritual prepares our minds for journaling. The more we practice our journaling ritual over time, the more our minds mind will get used to the idea that “When I do these things, it’s writing time”.
For more tips on starting (or restarting) a regular journaling practice, check out the full video class and accompanying PDF in the Becoming Who You Are Library. You’ll also get access to more than a dozen other free classes, workbook, and book summaries on personal growth, self-awareness and living a meaningful life.
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
