Keeping a journal doesn’t have to be a chore and these tips will help you not only get started – or start back up – but also have fun!
Not every journal has to be a blank paged book that you write in for hours sharing your innermost thoughts.
Some journals take minutes to update.
Others use no words at all.
Journaling isn’t so much about how you do it as it is that you do it with frequency and consistency.
Depending on the outcome you desire from journaling, you can design a journal practice that accommodates your needs.
You can keep track of a goal, work through difficult times, express yourself creatively, engage in self-care or simply document your dreams.
Whatever you are experiencing in your life at the moment, there is a way to journal it.
Let’s look at some traditional journal ideas:
- Blank notebooks
- Electronic notebooks
- A writer’s pad
- Fill-in-the-blank prompting journals
- Gratitude journals
Traditional journals are great for people who love to write and spend time laying out their thoughts and ideas with minimal prompting or influence from the outside.
For those more comfortable at the keyboard, an electronic journal may be ideal.
Here are some unconventional journal ideas:
- Bullet journals
- Video journals
- Bible art journals
- Art journals
- Vision boards or boxes
- Mind maps
- Food journals
- To-Do lists and checklists
These unique journal styles usually appeal to men and women who prefer alternatives to longhand or traditional journaling.
Busy people who don’t have spare time may find bullet journaling an effective way to stay on track with their creativity without sacrificing too much energy.
Artists may love expressing their thoughts, ideas, and dreams in a doodle journal or through a series of painted pieces in a collection.
Sometimes the mere activity of creating art opens the mind to new thoughts while it is distracted by an alternative activity.
For those who prefer no-nonsense and practical methods of journaling, a mind map may be just the ticket.
Mind mapping takes ideas and thoughts and creates compartmentalized areas for each thought. Then the ideas that match that thought are neatly assigned to the thought. This is a very unique way to organize anything from starting a new business to writing a book.
I also like to use list-making when I don’t have time or don’t want to spend a lot of time writing. Sometimes it’s just easier to jot down a list of things I need, things I’m thinking about, things that need to get done, etc.
The take-away about journaling is that there’s no right or wrong way to do it and what works for you might be different than what works for me.
Part of the fun is figuring out your own style!
And you don’t need to stick to just one technique – you may love to write longhand about how grateful you are each night before you go to bed but you also have an electronic notepad on your smartphone that you use to jot down bullet points on business ideas that pop into your head at work.
Having more than one journal – and more than one journaling style – is as common as journaling itself.
Embrace YOUR unique style and watch how a regular journaling practice can improve your life.
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