2 Simple ways to start your journal

I don’t know about you, but when I first started journaling, I was a little bit overwhelmed with my first journal. There was a lot of space and I really didn’t know what to say. It was like talking to a stranger when you haven’t been introduced. Only this piece of paper wasn’t talking at all!

Like anything you try for the first time, journaling can feel a little uncomfortable, but that feeling is perfectly normal. When I think about my very first driving lesson, there were 3 pedals and 2 feet, lots of mirrors and a gear stick. Now I drive automatically, but when I started, I was very uncoordinated! The same applies to journaling. So this post is all about helping you get started and writing your very first post.

First of all, don’t expect to be a perfect writer to start off with, especially if it’s not something you’ve done in a while. Like anything, it takes practice and persistence, but once you’ve done it a few times, it gets easier, and soon you’ll get comfortable with it and actually start enjoying the process. (If you haven’t done so already, then join my 30 day journaling challenge to help you practice.),

So here are 2 simple ways to start journaling:

No. 1 – Plan your day

This method of journaling works well first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It’s a great way to use your journal as a planner to think about 3 goals that you want to complete that day. You can then think about how your going to get things done, the obstacles you might encounter and how you can get round them. This really helps you to focus and stay positive (you may even want to include an affirmation in there when you get more comfortable.) It’s one of those things where, when you start doing it, and ticking off each goal, it becomes like a self-fulfilling prophesy and you’ll soon find that you become much more productive as a result.

No.2 – Assess your day

Whilst the first method is great both in the morning and the evening, this method is really just useful in the evening. Start off with a simple re-cap of your day, then write about the things that went well, anything significant that happened and anything you wish that may have gone better. This method is all about processing your day, so that you can let it go and move on. It may also get you thinking about what you want to achieve the next day.

So, that’s my two very simple methods to get started.

Personally, I like to combine the two, reflecting on my day then setting out some goals for the next. For me it kind of builds in daily accountability, which, as a life coach, I love.

Don’t forget, you can join my 30 day journaling challenge any time and if you’re looking for a journal to write in, then I’ve created one or two on Amazon.