How to write in a journal
5 Tips to get started with journaling
There are 35 years of diaries in a box in the bottom of my wardrobe.
35 years of hopes, dreams and fears.
35 years of things to be thankful for interspersed with a few things that no one would ever choose.
35 years of ordinary days, along with a few painful days that I know should be remembered, and a long list of extraordinary days that I am afraid to ever forget.
35 years of thoughts that have clarified themselves as they have passed onto the page.
For most of my life, most of my days have ended with writing in a journal.
So what do I say when people ask how to pick up this habit for themselves?
I’ve got five tips which come from my own personal experience and from the years I have spent helping students to love to write.
This is my advice if you’re curious, or if journaling has been suggested to you by a therapist, or if you’re looking to develop a new skill.
Whether you’re 11, or 31 or 81 these tips can help you develop a skill you will never regret.
Set yourself up for success
If you are hoping journal writing will be part of your life over the long term, lay the groundwork, get the basics sorted and set yourself up for success.
Have a think about these five key questions:
- Why is writing in a journal important to you?
- What will you write with?
- What will you write on?
- Where will you write?
- When will you write?
The answers to these questions are the foundation to your new habit. We explore them extensively in the Journal Journey email course. Click here to join.
Pick a topic
“As there are a thousand thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen to write.”
William Makepeace Thackeray
Knowing what to write about can be such a challenge. There may be a thousand thoughts lying inside you, but accessing them doesn’t always feel simple.
As you’re getting started, write about something you know well. Your day, your thoughts or how you’re feeling. Try these journal prompts if you’re stuck.
Set a goal
Your writing goal will depend on your writing experience.
I have taught many 11 year olds whose favourite part of the week is the hour they get to spend writing anything they choose to write, but the idea of this would terrify many adults.
Decide on an amount of time you can realistically expect yourself to write for and make that amount of time your goal for the first few times you write in your journal.
It could be 2 or 5 or 10 minutes.
It’s not a competition or a race.
There are no KPIs and no prize for who writes the longest.
You want to easily achieve the goal you set.
Once you’ve set your goal, aim to write in your diary for that length of time. Set a timer if it will help you.
Over time you will find it easier to generate ideas to write about, your writing stamina will increase, and the time you spend writing will increase too.
The more you do it, the better you will get at it.
Silence your inner critic
Writing in a diary is one of the few things in life that you will do entirely for yourself.
There is no audience and no expectations.
Whatever you write is enough, just like you are enough.
Your spelling, grammar and writing ideas are fine exactly as they are. There’s no red pen.
Allow your inner critic to rest while you write knowing that whatever you write today is enough.
Tomorrow is a new day and there will be new words to write.
Let yourself write today without fear, criticism or worry.
Just write
If you have set yourself up for success, chosen a topic, set a goal and silenced your inner critic, the only thing left to do is to write.
As you write you will be joining an immeasurable crowd of people throughout history who have gained courage, perspective and peace as they have transferred their thoughts onto the page.
“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”
Anne Frank
Don’t overthink it, just relax and write.
And if I can help you further, I would love to see you in the Journal Journey course.
You can get started today.
Happy Writing x
Joanna
