Journaling is a beautiful, unique, and unrestrictive creative outlet. There are dozens of ways to journal and you can add your own creative twist to it. I began journaling a little over a year ago and I wish I would have started sooner. It is amazing to look back to a year ago, even a month ago, at what was going on in my life. Here, I’ll explain to you three of my favorite and most beneficial ways of journaling that will change your life.
1—Dailies. For starters, a structured form of journaling is what I like to call “Dailies”. This way is helpful if you are trying to get into a new routine, create habits, or if you just have a lot on your plate. Every morning I write what time I wake up, what I eat for breakfast, my workout, and make a plan for the rest of the day and a little to-do list to keep myself on track. At the end of the day, I do a small recap on what happened and write my gratitude. This is more of an agenda-like way of journalling to get yourself more organized.
2—Prompted journaling. For those of you who are just plain bored and want to spark your creativity, I’d recommend prompted journaling. You can either buy a journal with prompts already made for you, or another way is by watching a TED talk about a certain topic that catches your interest and writing your response in a reflection-like, opinionated sort of way. This is great for learning new things and to help the development of opinions and ideas. I have learned so much from this technique of journaling, it definitely gets my brain going.
3—Goal setting. If you are a person with a ton of goals, the first step to achieving them is writing them down! Writing down your goals is already half the battle. Most people have goals and never care to figure out how the heck to achieve them. Keeping a journal of everything you want to accomplish and the steps you take to achieve them keeps your mind focused and centered on your journey to success. Plus, imagine looking back at this journal after you have achieved all of your goals.
The best part of journaling is that there are no rules and you can totally make it your own. If you’re thinking about journaling, go for it! Pick up a pencil and let your mind wander; complete, creative freedom. Get some cool pens and deck it out, or just keep it simple. The most important thing is to not make it forced, it shouldn’t be a chore to journal. Find a technique that you love and be excited about doing it. It can be hard at first, but oh so worth it.
What’s your favorite way to get creative with journaling? Comment below!
