I LOVE journaling, it’s part of my creativity I get to express. I am not a professional by any means, these 10 tips I’m about to share are lessons and tips I’ve learned along the way. I’ve actually been Journaling for more than 20+ years since Highschool and just now realized that writing was therapeutic for me. Back then it was just something I did without hesitation. Journaling is something I actually love to do and most of the time, create an experience from it. Here are 10 tips to help you be successful at Journaling:

There are no rules to Journaling

When you think of Journaling what do you think of? Writing every single day? Perfect punctuation? perfect grammar? What if I told you there are no rules. My first piece of advice in journaling is to brain dump. Sometimes it can be intimidating at first, but when you start, it can be so freeing. You can write in third person if you choose, you can write to someone that was special to you that has passed away, you can even write in short had. Journaling is therapeutic, meaning it helps you to relax. If writing doesn’t relax you, you can even draw, color, the possibilities are endless.

Take the pressure off yourself about writing

You don’t have to write every day. You can write when you are motivated to do so when you are inspired by something, there is no end to when you want to write. Journaling can be anything you make of it. You can write song lyrics that spoke to you, write a quote from a book, or a poem, write down scripture, you can write down anything God has put on your heart, you can draw anything that inspires you. Post or print out pictures that inspire you or even write down prayers from the bible or make one on your own. Again, the possibilities are endless

Make it fun

Don’t get the black & white composition notebook (unless you want to) but my point is to start with a journal that looks pretty to you, with flowers, glitter, butterflies, etc. Anything that makes it fun for you. You can also get pretty colorful pens, stickers, markers, or stamps, if you want to have a special pen set aside just for journaling, do it. You can also go on Instagram and use the hashtags: #Journal, #Journaling, #Journalingcommunity, you will find TONS of different ideas that will help you get inspired to start your own Journaling Journey (Say that 10x fast!).

Decide whether you want to write in a digital journal or use pen & paper

It’s like choosing between an audiobook, Kindle, or the actual book. Nowadays there are so many options to do so many things that it can be difficult to choose from. Here are some ideas to help you choose. You can use something as basic as the Google docs, the notes app that automatically comes on your phone, or even a Journal app called: Reflection.app. This app is a guided journal that asks you different questions and you can start writing by answering those questions, You can even add pictures and search out past entries to help you reflect back on past memories.

If you like just plain pen and paper, what kind of Journal paper do you want to write on? Bullet Journaling, A blank page journal, or just lined paper journal. Once you choose that, you can choose whether you want a spiral notebook or a bound notebook. My advice… try them all and see which ones work best for you.

Set the mood

Create an experience when writing in your journal. Currently, I’m writing this blog post while my kids are doing their homework, sometimes there will be noise, like the kids chewing, making jokes, they spilled something, making messes on the table. I’m still able to write and get my thoughts down, but when I write in my journal, I have to have a quiet space and know that the kids are ok and the house is clean. I know, it sounds weird but my mind is less distracted when things around me are organized. The best time for me to write is late at night and early in the morning before the sun is up and the house is quiet, with a scented candle, tea, and a quiet space.

Decide what you will be using the Journal for

You can use your journal as a lifestyle, meaning you bring your journal with you everywhere you go, like a planner, and when you are inspired or motivated by something you write it down. You can use your journal as a gratitude/blessings/thankful journal. Write down your dreams/goals/visions for your fitness journey, family goals, or, business/project.

Date & title your journal entries

I can’t tell you how important it is to write down dates and sometimes even title your journal entries because you may want to reference back to a specific event that happened, it would be easy to find. Even when you date the entry, I like to put the day of the week. I’ve seen people even write down the time, to me that doesn’t do anything for me but you can try it out for your own personal records.

Go back and read your entries

Going back and reading past entries and show growth and even things you haven’t noticed about yourself that will help in your growth process. Reflecting back to past memories is also fun, and not just the bad memories but anything that was inspirational to you at the time.

Pick the time of day when you want to write

I mentioned in the previous paragraphs that I like to write both morning and late in the evening but that doesn’t mean that I write both of those times. Somedays I may write early in the morning before my kids get up or late at night when they go to bed or sometimes I do both. It just has to do with what is going on that day and what inspired me.

You can start at anytime. EnJoy!

There is no perfect time to start. You don’t have to start in the beginning of January. You can start now. When you get your journal, you don’t even have to start on the first page, you can start of the secound page and go from there. Again, the possibilities are endless. Have fun with this process.

If you are interested in October 1st I am starting a group called: Journal Reflections. If you want to start writing in your journal and get inspired by other people, Join me, and let’s get inspired together. Being part of a group and having accountability would not only be fun but it’s motivating and inspiring. Below is a free printable that I will be using in the group. It is a scripture writing promises from the book of John. This will help you in your walk with God and jumpstart your Journal writing Journey. Let’s get started.