STEPS TO GETTING STARTED
Many of us do not consider ourselves natural writers and so it can be difficult to know what to put on the pages of our journals or where to start.
We will explore this shortly but, if you are new to journalling, make the following preparations.
GET YOURSELF A JOURNAL THAT YOU ARE GOING TO ENJOY USING
Consider the following:
SIZE – Do you prefer something pocket size to carry around or something a lot larger. Many shapes and sizes are available today. You may even choose something square!
INTERIOR – Should it be wide lined, college lined, with graph paper or even plain paper
EXTERIOR – Will you enjoy keeping a diary with a plush leather cover or have more
fun with a soft-bound book with an inspirational or colorful image on the front.
PRINT OR DIGITAL – Many are now moving to digital journals and diaries. You have the flexibility to carry around just a tablet and it can have as many pages as you want. There are a wealth of ready made planners to download on to an app such as Goodnotes and even digital stickers to personalize and decorate your diary.
FIND A SPECIAL PLACE TO KEEP YOUR JOURNAL
KEEP YOUR DIARY PRIVATE
IDEALLY FIND THE PERFECT COMFORTABLE PLACE TO DO YOUR WRITING
COMMIT TO BEING CONSISTENT
Life events and moments
Relationships and family
Progress of goals – personal or business/career
Gratitudes and appreciations
Personal health and fitness achievements
Releasing worry on the page
Significant conversations
Frustrations and what you might do about them
Prayers and wishes for others
Memories sparked during the day
News and events
Dreams and ideas
Inspirational quotes and sayings
Life lessons learned that day
Finally, select one of the following three techniques that fits you best.
RANDOM FREE-FLOWING THOUGHTS
SET YOUR OWN CHOSEN TOPICS
ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A GUIDED JOURNAL
RANDOM FREE FLOWING THOUGHTS
Firstly date the page if you are using a blank journal.
Close your eyes, relax and think about how you feel and what you are thinking right then.
Start writing and begin sentences with things like “I feel ..” and “Right now ..”
Write naturally, quickly (and without stopping if you can) for 5-10 minutes
Remember there are no rules or someone waiting to check your composition and grammar
Be honest and truthful with how you are really feeling
When you have finished, read what you have written, add more thoughts and note any actions you are going to take, if applicable
SET YOUR OWN CHOSEN TOPICS
Using the list of common topics previously listed, choose your own questions to answer
every time you write. You may want to pick one topic or several
Alternatively, if there are a large number of subjects, write them down on pieces of paper. Put the pieces of paper in a bowl and pull one or two out at random each day
ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A GUIDED JOURNAL
If the first two options seem too much for you then let someone else set the questions.
You can purchase “guided” journals on so many subjects these days such as a gratitude
journals or dream journals. These already have pre-printed questions where you just fill in
the blanks. They are not expensive. Just seach for your chosen subject online on sites
like Amazon
There are many benefits to keeping and diary or journal which we will discuss in another post. However, it is good to know that it is widely considered great for mental focus, increasing self-confidence and raised awareness leading to greater contentment. I hope you find this true for you.