If you’re just getting started with journaling or even just considering it, you’re about to start a valuable habit that can bring several benefits to your life. Journaling helps clear your mind, allows you to think through issues, track what you want to accomplish, and even helps reveal patterns over time. If you already feeling like this is something you want to jump into, you’re halfway there.
The key now? Building the habit.
Let’s jump into the most important parts of starting and sticking with a journaling practice—without stressing about the perfect notebook or the latest digital setup (Don’t worry, I’ll share my favorites at the end of the article).
Make Journaling a Habit That Sticks
To get any benefit from journaling, consistency is everything. You won’t get much from a practice you only do occasionally, so let’s make it easy to build into your routine. Drawing from Atomic Habits by James Clear, the concept of “habit stacking” is one of the best ways to establish a new habit. Here’s how it works:
- Identify a Habit You Already Do Daily: What’s something you do every morning? Maybe you have coffee, do a morning review, or read.
- Stack Journaling on Top of It: Attach journaling to this existing habit. If you sit down with coffee, you could journal before or after. The key is linking journaling with a habit that’s already automatic for you.
Most people find morning the best time to journal since it lets you set the tone for your day, but anytime that works for you is fine—what matters is consistency.
Choose Your Format: Pen and Paper or Digital
Now, let’s talk about format. Some people love the tactile experience of pen and paper journaling, which research shows can be beneficial for memory and focus. But digital options, like Notion or Google Docs, have their advantages too, especially if you like to organize and search through your entries.
Experiment to see what resonates with you. There’s no wrong choice—start with whatever feels easiest, knowing you can always adapt as your journaling practice grows.
And, if you want to digitize your handwritten notes, it’s easier than ever – here’s a video showing how to do it:
What to Write in Your Journal
Once you’ve built the habit, the next question is: What should you actually write? Here are a few approaches to try:
- Start with a Brain Dump: Sometimes just writing freely is the best way to clear your mind and organize your thoughts. Letting your thoughts flow without direction can help relieve stress and reveal what’s on your mind.
- Use Prompts for Direction: If you need more structure, prompts can be the way to go as well as letting you review the changes over time. Here are a few to consider:
- What are you grateful for today?What are you avoiding?What’s going well, and why?What do you want to accomplish today?
- Try Free-Form Writing: After responding to a prompt, you may feel more open to free-write. Use this space to reflect, brainstorm, or think through any challenges.
Review Your Entries for Insights
One of the most powerful aspects of journaling is the ability to review your past entries. Over time, you’ll start to notice patterns that can reveal both positive and negative trends. Regular reviews help you identify what’s working, see areas for improvement, and recognize recurring thoughts or issues.
If you journal daily, try a quick review once a week. Pick a day to look back through recent entries and reflect on any themes or insights. This review doesn’t need to be in-depth or analytical. Simply skimming through your entries is often enough to trigger useful observations.
Ready to Get Started?
Getting started is the hardest part, but remember that it’s all about forming a habit. Your journaling practice today doesn’t have to look the same a year from now—it just has to be regular. By focusing on building the habit rather than crafting the perfect setup, you’ll get the full benefit of journaling over time.
If you’d like more journaling prompts or tips, just go here to get more prompts and helpful journaling advice.
My Favorite Journaling Tools
I keep it pretty simple, but I have my favorites and they change over time. Currently, I use a Midori Traveler’s Notebook for day to day lists and random notes.
I started using a fountain pen this summer and really enjoy it – right now it’s a Preppy Platinum, although I started with a Pilot Kakuno – I added some waterproof ink so I can write and use it for drawings that I can watercolor over later.
For journal prompts, I’m using a Google Sheet so that I can easily take the entries out and review them or have something like ChatGPT review them for patterns during my quarterly review – very insightful and something I talked about here:
