How to Start a Simple Daily Journaling Practice
Steps You Can Take to Develop This Useful Habit
Having a daily journaling practice can make a difference to your performance, and your mental and emotional well-being.
While it requires a level of discipline and commitment, the habit of journaling daily will bring many benefits if you stick with it.
1-Minute Summary Video
Why Start a Daily Journaling Practice
When you have a daily journaling practice, things you will gain include:
- You will have a record of your day and experiences.
- You will develop the skill of self-reflection.
- You will process life lessons, which will lead to greater wisdom.
- You will experience a boost in mindfulness.
- You will improve your memory and writing skills.
- You will develop self-confidence.
- You will learn to manage your emotions better.
The aim of having a journaling practice is to help you be a happier, healthier and wiser person, so you can become the person you want to be.
My Journaling Experience
My journaling practice started over eight years ago, during which I have recorded over three thousand entries. My initial intention was to have a record of my day, where I would capture details of things that happened.
Over the years it has evolved, and now it’s also an important productivity and performance practice.
Things I capture when journaling daily include:
- Rituals or habits I maintained.
- What I ate.
- My key achievements.
- Any interesting events worth remembering.
- An evaluation of my performance.
- Key lessons I learned.
- Anything I need to release or let go.
- Things that made me happy during the day.
- Things I am grateful for.
- My plans for the next day.
It usually takes me about fifteen minutes every day to complete. It’s often the last thing I do before I end my workday.
An interesting thing is I only occasionally read previous entries. It’s more of a completion process, so I can declare the day complete and plan for the next day.
How to Start a Journaling Practice Using These Simple Steps
Initially, effort is required to stick to it, but it will get easier. It’s important to find a process that works for you, because one technique that may work for one person may not work for someone else.
Here are a few steps you can take to start a daily journaling practice, so you can reap its benefits as you become a happier, healthier and wiser person.
- Decide what you want to capture and why it’s important to you. Have an intention for journaling. You can commit to doing it for seven days, then gauge how it’s going. It’s important it is something you want to do, rather than something you think you should do.
- Set how much time you want to give it. You can use a timer when starting out. Journaling for ten minutes daily is not a big time commitment, and setting a time can help you ease into it.
- Schedule a recurring appointment with yourself in your calendar. If you do not schedule time for journaling in your calendar, it’ll be easy to forget and it’s unlikely you will do it. Having a reminder will ensure you are not relying on remembering to do it.
- Choose the tool you want to use. It’s best to do what’s simple. A notebook for you to write in is one option. There are many note-taking apps available today if you prefer the digital option.
- Create a template to make the process easier. Instead of starting with a blank page every day, create prompts to get you thinking. As you gain experience with the process, you can refine what you journal about. The main thing is to know what you want to capture and ensure you do not judge yourself as you recall events from your day.
- Write in your preferred style. If you’re a visual person, you can draw, sketch, mind-map, or use other techniques. If you prefer more structure to what you write, you can use full sentences, bullet points, essays, or even poetry. Choose a style that works for you.
- Track your progress and the difference it’s making. You will know what to improve if you track your progress. You’re also more likely to continue doing it if you know it’s making a difference. Give yourself rewards for reaching certain milestones.
What You Can Expect When You Develop a Journaling Practice
When you have formed the habit of journaling daily, things you can expect include:
- You will get in touch with your emotions more.
- You will have a higher level of clarity.
- You will better manage any unresolved or built-up emotions.
- You will quieten your inner critic.
- You will improve your communication skills.
- You will decrease stress.
- You will have a desire to improve and be the best you can be.
Final Thoughts
Having a journaling practice is a powerful way to get to know yourself better and have a clearer sense of how you can improve. Once you experience its benefits, you will accept it’s a valuable habit to develop.
The hardest step is getting started, but once you do and stick with it for a few days, it will become a practice you look forward to every day.
Action Step: If you do not journal, decide if it’s something you’d like to do. If it is, use the ideas suggested here to start your daily journaling practice.
Question: What other steps will help with starting a simple daily journaling practice?
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