HOW TO JOURNAL (Insights from my own journaling practice)
Journaling is not my jam. I want to journal, but I never know what to write about? Great question and one I hear often. If journaling is not your jam because you find yourself stuck on a blank page, I have an invitation for you. The good news--you don’t need to know what you’re going to write about before you get to the page.
What is the goal of journaling? For me, it’s to discover truths. Discovering by definition is: the act of detecting something new, or something previously unrecognized as meaningful. Think of yourself as an anthropologist, go to the page open, curious, willing to get messy. Journaling is a creative and exploratory process. It’s about letting go of perfection and allowing yourself to come as you are. It's a place to turn over thoughts and ideas, consider all possibilities. Journaling is a powerful practice to discover deep wisdom inside of you. It can help you sift through difficult emotions, create deeper clarity moving forward. I’m a big fan of journaling in the morning as it provides an excellent opportunity to prime my mindset for the day.
I want to share a framework of mine, a pattern I’ve noticed in my own journaling practice that might be helpful in getting started.
To get started, try this:
Brain dump. Write down whatever comes up, as random as it seems, go for it. I like to begin with a brain dump because it clears away all the noise and chatter in my mind. Everything from how I’m feeling in the moment, to what I dreamt about last night. The goal here is to empty and clear the mind a bit—free of judgement and overthinking. This exercise gets me present, allowing me to notice what's on my mind. Sometimes this alone leads to a deep dive journal session.
What am I excited about? What am I looking forward to? This can be a fun way to get future focused, especially if I’m feeling a little blue or in a funk. When we envision and dream about the future, we create emotions of hope, excitement, and opportunity. Looking forward to something, big or small, is a powerful place to take yourself and a great way to fuel your journal practice.
Look for LIGHT (Learning, Impact, Gratitude, Help, Tether)
What am I learning right now?
What progress have I made, what’s making an impact? What’s working? (This is a great place to celebrate).
What am I grateful for? Two reasons to feel gratitude and why does it matter to me?
Who can I help today? Where can I make a contribution? Who needs me most today?
How will I stay tethered to the present moment today? This question serves to help stay out of story, keep me present with what is, right now.
Journaling can be a powerful practice. I hope this helps in getting started! If you’re in the market for a journal, my absolute favorite right now is the large, lined Moleskin (they lay open so easy, it’s dreamy!).
Stay open, brave, and hopeful!
