5 Ways to Start Your Journaling Practice

Do you have a consistent journaling practice?

I have a confession. I’m obsessed with journaling. And I want you to be obsessed with journaling, too, because my journaling practice helps me in every single area of my life.

In my journal, I flesh out ideas for articles, essays, blog posts, social media and the See Jane Write community.

I use journaling to process my feelings and to better understand myself and the world around me.

In my journal, I write my prayers, my fears, my hopes, and my dreams.

I even run to my journal when my husband makes me angry.

To be clear, I’m not talking about your run-of-the-mill “Dear Diary” kind of journaling. When I journal, I’m not just jotting down a recap of my day. I’m writing with intention. And this type of journaling can be transformative.

If you’re interested in beginning your own journaling practice, here are some ways to get started.

Use journal prompts.

The right journal prompts can help you get clear on who you are, what you want, and what you stand for. Journal prompts can sometimes lead to bigger work. There’s an essay in my forthcoming book that started as a response to a journal prompt. I set out to just write a few lines and ended up writing a 500-word essay that I eventually revamped and revised for my book.

In my latest collaboration with Shine Gifts Co., we produced a self-love journal gift box that includes 30 days of prompts. The box also includes a journal and a rose and vanilla-scented candle. You can also just order the prompts.

Try morning pages to start your journaling practice.

One great way to start your journaling practice is through morning pages, which is detailed in The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. The premise is simple: start each day with three pages of freewriting. This is stream-of-consciousness writing. It doesn’t need to be clever or profound and it’s for your eyes only. In fact, Cameron says she doesn’t even consider the morning pages “writing.” The goal is just to clear out the mental clutter that may be blocking your creative process.

Focus on gratitude.

Another easy way to start journaling is to begin or end each day with a gratitude list. Simply make a list of the people, places, things, opportunities, and experiences you’re grateful for. You can do this first thing in the morning, right before bed, or both.

Use your journaling practice to affirm yourself.

If you’re a fan of journaling and a fan of affirmations, you can combine the two by writing affirmations for yourself based on what you need to get through the day or the week ahead.

Personally, I’ve found reciting affirmations is much more effective for me when I’m reading aloud affirmations that I wrote myself. And the key is to write affirmations that are based on my values and my vision for my life.

I offer step-by-step instructions on how to affirmations that work in this blog post.

Also, you can sign up to get affirmations from me texted directly to you each Monday morning. Simply text the word AFFIRM to 205-892-9501 to get started.

Write your future.

My favorite type of journaling is scripting. With this law of attraction type of journaling you will write about the future you desire as if it’s already yours.

Scripting gets me so excited about life and gave me a lot of hope in 2020 while I was going through cancer treatment.

Here are 3 prompts to get you started with scripting:

•It is 2027, and I am so proud of the life I have created… (Describe each area of life – work, family, home, health, faith, service, creativity, fun.)

•Today was a great day… (Describe your ideal day including your morning routine, your workday, what you did after work, and your evening routine.)

•What vocational activity do you enjoy doing so much you would do it for free? What would each day look like if you could do this for a living?

What’s your favorite style of journaling?