What DOES journaling look like?

Ask a hundred people what journaling is and I’ll bet you’ll get a hundred different answers.

It’s funny really - We all have this idea of what journaling is and what it should look like.

And these ideas, these stories we tell ourselves, often keep us from accessing the magic of journaling.

I’ve talked to a lot of people in the last couple of years, and heard a lot of variations on this theme:

I want to journal. I know it’d be helpful to me. But I don’t really get it. I mean, I’ve tried it and it just doesn’t do anything for me. Maybe something is wrong with me because everyone else seems to love it and gets so much out of it.

Let me say, first and foremost, if you’ve ever had a thought like this, there is nothing wrong with you.

Journaling CAN be helpful to you - but it’s helpful to start at the beginning.

What is journaling? Here’s my definition:

Journaling is the act of showing up for myself. Giving myself space and opportunity to sit and think, and record what I learn. When I journal, I look inward, asking myself questions about what I need, what I value, how I can be the person I most want to be, so I can take action and move my life forward.

There are so many beautiful, wonderful ways to journal, and I’m convinced that each of us who wants to journal can find ways that work for us.

And it helps to start with the end in mind - What do you want your journaling to do for you?

A big reason why people get stuck with journaling is that the way we’re doing it isn’t yielding us the results we’re looking for.

Take this scenario: Tom wants to start journaling because he’s heard on Tim Ferriss’ podcast how effective journaling has been for him in increasing his focus. So he picks up a copy of The Five Minute Journal Ferriss uses. And while it feels good to get started, Tom stops about two weeks in because he’s bored and isn’t seeing results. “Maybe journaling isn’t for me,” he thinks.

But when Tom really thinks through what he hopes to achieve through journaling, he realizes he wants to be more present in and intentional about his life. And he realizes he loves to write, so he develops a practice where he visualizes how he wants his day to go and to decides what he’ll do to move himself forward. He schedules in any actions he needs to take, setting reminders as necessary. And each night before Tom goes to bed, he reflects on how his plans went: did he do those things he said he’d do? What went well? What could he improve for tomorrow?

Because Tom is journaling in a way that feels good to him - that plays to his strengths and interests, and is aligned with his goals, journaling feels much more satisfying. And he’s journaling on the regular.

So what is it that you want to get from your journal?

Do you want to better understand your feelings? Try prompts like the these:

What am I feeling?
Where in my body am I feeling it?
How does it feel?
Do I like feeling this way?
Why am I feeling this way?
What can I change about my situation?
What can I do to shift the way I feel?
What can I do to reinforce how I feel and recognize it easier the next time?

Do you want to be more productive at work? Try interstitial journaling. (See this issue for more information.)

Do you want to be more positive? Try recording the good things that you see throughout the day.

Who said something kind?
How beautiful was the sunset?
Who held the elevator for you when they saw you running down the hall?
How delicious was your dinner?
What brought you joy?

What we focus on grows and the more good things we look for and appreciate, the more good things we’ll see.

Do you want to be more organized? Try using your journaling sessions to identify where you need to be when, and what you’re responsible for doing before then. Write out your to-do list, schedule items on your calendar, set some intentions - and reminders on your phone so you’ll do them. (Yes, planning can definitely count as journaling!)

These are just a few ideas to get you started.

But if you broaden your definition of what journaling is and what it should look like, you may find it’s easier to find a way that feels good to you - one that will help you get where you want to go!

If you want some help thinking through what this could look like for you, let’s have a chat!

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Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week. And know that I’m always here to support you and answer questions you have along the way!

• How is your journaling practice feeling these days?

• What results are you seeing?

• Are these the results you want to see?

• What could you do to make journaling more productive for you?

• What could you do to make journaling more fun?

• What is one new journaling technique you’d like to try?

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One Journaling Idea I Love:

Pick a Card, Any Card

If you’re someone who likes to use tarot or oracle cards, you can pull them into your journaling. Pick a card and write about what it means. What message is it sending? What situation could it relate to for you? How can you use it to move your life forward today? What else comes to mind?

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Did You Hear? I’ll be on NPR!!

I’ll be recording a segment for Where We Live, a Connecticut show on National Public Radio. Join me at 9 am, 8 pm or on demand to talk about journaling.

Listen at ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live or on your favorite podcast platform!

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Monthly Journaling Mini-Retreat

I’ll be hosting a monthly journaling mini-retreat each month, so if you’ve been wondering what group journaling is all about, it’s an easy, low commitment way to give it a try. The next one is on Wednesday, February 15 at 7:30 pm Eastern.

CLICK HERE to register.

Happy Journaling!