How to Start Journaling and Why You F*&king Should!

Apr 7

A journal is an incredibly powerful tool that can improve happiness, productivity, and creativity.

If you're anything like me, the word "journaling" probably conjures up images of angsty teenage girls writing in their diaries about boys, or your great-grandmother's meticulous documentation of her day-to-day life.

But, journaling isn't just for teenage girls or elderly ladies— absolutely anyone can take advantage of its countless benefits.

Here's a quick guide on how to get started with journaling, along with some tips and examples.

Buy a journal.
And, a pen.
Write.
Repeat.

No seriously, How do you start Journaling?

I know. It sounds too easy, right?

Thousands of successful people throughout history have accredited note-taking, diary writing, and journaling to their success. It can’t be that easy, can it?

Yes, it can.

Hell, you don’t even have to buy a journal if you don't want to — just use any old scrap of paper you have laying around, or dedicate a folder on your computer and start bashing the keyboard.

I get it — You don’t want to start journaling because you’re worried someone will read it. Or, you feel like a teenage girl writing about her crush in her diaries. Or, you don’t think of yourself as a good writer.

Why you should Start a Journal

Yes, writing in a journal may sound like a waste of F*#$en time but hear me out.

Journaling is where we find our story. Our own personal story.   

It’s never too late or too early to start journaling.

Once you start a journal, you will start to find themes of how you see the world. You will learn what affects you, and how it affects you.

Best of all, you get to know yourself, and what better person to get to know in this life, than yourself? That’s what starting a journal does for you.  

You have earned the right to get to know yourself. As well, or better than anybody else in this world. If we can’t get along with ourselves, we don’t know ourselves, then it’s damn hard to get to know and love somebody else.   

Write your own story, you’re the author of it.

So, write away.

write your story in a journal, photo of custom leather journal in an italian store — *A custom Leather Journal I found in an Italian Bookstore - Write your own story*

The Secret to Starting A Journal

I will let you in on a little secret.

No one really cares what you journal about.

No one is going to read them. No one is judging you. And if they do, well fuck ‘em.

You don’t even have to read your journals yourself if you don't want to. Just throw the page away once you're done. Or, burn it for all I care. The best thing about journals is that they don't have to be good or bad. All of the benefits of journaling come from the act of doing it.

So, if you are hesitant to start journaling, here is your permission slip to start, or your ticket, or whatever you need to get you to put pen to paper.

Common Excuses to Stop you From Starting a Journal

Below, you will find common excuses that your mind comes up with in order to not start journaling. I am here to break those negative thought patterns for you and get you to put pen to paper.

‘But, I’m too busy to journal…’

What the fuck else are you doing with your time?

Seriously.

If you have time to scroll social media, watch television, get sucked down a YouTube rabbit hole, or even read these blogs, you have time to journal.

All you need to do is start with five minutes a day. And trust me, it is a whole lot more fulfilling than any of the previously mentioned activities.

‘I don’t know what to journal about…’

What did you do yesterday?

What would you want your life to look like if you could have anything in the world?

Write about your favorite song or your favorite book and how it makes you feel.

Or put your favorite quote at the top of the page and jot your thoughts on it.

The topics do not matter. It's the act of doing that is important.

Sitting down at your desk, or on the train, or on the shitter, or wherever you can find a moment of solitude, and writing a few words down. That’s what matters.

As I’ve mentioned, no one cares what you put in your journal.

Write about what moves you, write about what makes you laugh. Write about what makes you cry. Write about something you love. A beauty you see, or darkness you are afraid of. Write it all down.   

Just write anything that comes to mind, it may seem difficult in the beginning. But, once you get over the initial hump of starting a journal, you will find you know what to write about, something within you wants to be heard.

Listen to that little voice, rather than the shouting narrator at the head of the table. Hell, write down whatever negative thoughts he or she is shouting at you too. It might just teach you something.

‘I have no Motivation to Start A Journal…’

Pursuing goals that have personal significance and meaning is what keeps you motivated.

Think about the reasons that you want to start a journal.

It may be to design your life, to understand the self, to improve your creativity, to copy the habits of successful people, or it could be to document your travels and look back on them when you are older.

Whatever it is, it's much more likely that you'll keep up with your journaling practice on a daily basis if you provide yourself with a compelling reason to do so.

I also believe if you journal about things you love until you love journaling, you will find an all-new motivation for it.

So make the practice your own. Make it something fun and enjoyable you get to do each day and you will find the motivation to start a journal comes in abundance.

To keep yourself motivated, it's important that your journaling practice has meaning. This meaning can be entirely subjective and will mean something different to everyone, so define it yourself and remind yourself of it when you lack motivation.

I mean, if you are reading this article, you must have a little motivation to start a journal.

‘I’m not a writer, why would I start journaling…’

Starting a journal doesn’t just improve your writing ability.

It improves your ability to articulate ideas, think clearly, plan your life, and portray your message. It is like taking your brain to the gym.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a marketer, a software developer, or an athlete, you need to work out your brain to perform at a higher level.

To succeed in any field and clearly articulate your thoughts and opinions, you need to be able to think and speak clearly - starting a journal helps you do both.

Oh, and if you are a writer, keeping a book journal will help you become a much better writer…

‘I have no idea how to start a journal...’

What’s the best technique to start a journal?

What time of day should I start?

How long does it take?

How many journal pages should I write each day?

What type of journal should I use?

Ignore all of this.

It doesn't matter.

Starting a journal is far more crucial than the method you choose.

There is no correct answer here. The key is to actually take action. Buy a journal and a pen and start writing.

Tips to Start Journaling and Build it into a Lifelong Habit

Get prepared. If your journal is prepared for writing, you will be less likely to procrastinate, get distracted, and avoid writing in it.
For example, before I go to bed I clear my desk or table, open my journal and write tomorrow’s date and the time I want to start journaling, I set up the coffee machine for the next morning and keep my phone in another room so I have to walk past my open journal as I go to turn off my alarm. When I do this, I know I have nothing else to do in the morning but make the coffee and sit down to write my three-morning pages.
Remove any obstacles that keep you from starting a journal. This technique will help you build it into a daily habit. Make sure there are no interruptions or distractions. Turn off your wifi, put your phone in another room, and find a quiet area of your house or a corner of a cafe to start journaling.
Start small and gradually build up your journaling habit. The concept of "atomic habits," a simple behavior that can have a profound impact on one's life, is a frequent topic of discussion for author James Clear.
What does James recommend for folks who wish to make flossing a daily habit? Floss just one tooth every day.
If your goal is to begin a regular exercise routine, doing 1-2 minutes a day is better than nothing.
If you want to read more, read one page every day to build the habit.
You won't be able to say no if you begin on a very tiny scale and if you don't go through with it, you'll feel crazy and lazy. Which means you'll follow through with it.
So to start journaling, start with just one line per day. Or, one page of a small B5 notebook if you know you can complete it every day. Eventually, that will become an easily achievable habit that is ingrained in your daily routine.
Keep a Journal for just one week. When you start a journal, it does not need to be New York Times Bestseller worthy. it does not have to win you the Nobel Prize in writing. Don't scare yourself off with the overwhelming idea of a long-term commitment.
Begin with a single sentence. Describe how you're feeling, what you did the day before, what you're looking forward to, or who you're thinking about.
Do it for a week to see if you like it.
Start by jotting down a few things you're thankful for.
Start with a statement describing your perspective or mindset for the day, a thought provoked by yesterday's reading, or a preview of your plans for the day.
Do something extremely simple to begin with.
Whenever you are ready to expand upon it and produce more substantial writing, you will know.