You are so excited to start journaling finally. You’ve probably picked the most perfect and cute notebook or a vintage leather journal and are ready to reap all those benefits everyone says come with writing your thoughts daily.
Yeah… right! #sarcasticeyeroll
Until you actually sit with that cute notebook in front of you. You hold your pen above the page, ready for the ground-shaking, life-changing, empowering thoughts to pour through its tip… You wait for it… Wait for it… Aaaand… nothing happens!
Frustration and self-disappointment strike you immediately. Now, you aren’t thinking about anything life-changing. You feel disappointed and confused. You say that “journaling isn’t for you!” So you are about to leave that cute journal on the bottom shelf of your bookstand. Of course, it will collect dust for eternity there. You just aren’t made for that sh$%£t!!!
Not so fast, my dear! Please, hold that poor notebook for one more minute. Let’s try things differently, shall we?
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How Do Beginners Start Journaling?
How do beginners start journaling? They just… hmm, start…? Huh?
Okay! Let’s re-write that one and squeeze in a promise somewhere there: Beginners start journaling by knowing exactly what their end goal is, and you will know it too by the end of this post.
In fact, you will know it in less than a minute. In this post, I will answer the following questions you might have (click to jump to that section if you can’t wait for the answer):
- What journal should you start with?
- How do you practice daily journaling?
- What is the first thing to write in a journal?
- What to do on the very first page of a journal?
- How to stick to a 21-day journaling challenge?
- What to write about on those 21 days so that you enjoy journaling and turn it into a daily (or at least weekly) practice?
Also, I will give you 21 journaling prompts to help you write those first sentences faster. You will get a few printables and more tips than you need. Add sprinkles of poorly shaped sarcasm, and you are in for the read of the day.
Finding Out What Your Journaling Goal Is
Let me walk you through the process of finding out your journaling goal with a personal example.
My main goal for journaling is journaling itself. I enjoy stacking those notebooks on top of each other. Each of them is filled with thoughts I’ve long forgotten I’ve ever had. 10 years from now, I will leaf through one or two of those pages and realize that time heals everything; it justifies the hope and brings everything I need into my life. And it all happens precisely when it’s supposed to happen. Not a minute earlier or later.
My journaling goal is to keep track of my thought process and enjoy the “change” I go through every day, every month, and every year.
Because the thoughts I consider “important” and “true” today might turn out to be “illusions”, and the only way I can realize that is by keeping track of those thoughts. As David Allen, the author of “Get Things Done”, says, “Your brain isn’t for storing ideas. It’s for having them”. (or something similar)
And I know his book is about productivity, but the saying applies to journaling too. Having so many thoughts rumbling through my head is exhausting, time-consuming, energy-sucking, and simply impossible. Sooner or later, I forget most of it, but not everything is okay to be forgotten.
For learning life’s lessons, following through with a plan, self-encouraging, personal growth, self-love, or improving one’s relationship with the world around us, journaling is the one truly free tool still within our control.
Examples of journaling goals
My journaling goals aren’t yours, and you might not resonate with them. So here are a few ideas that could do that:
- Journaling for self-love;
- Journaling for mental health;
- Journaling for grieving;
- Journaling for memory keeping;
- Journaling for creativity boost;
- Journaling for improving love life and love relationships;
- Journaling for boosting gratitude and appreciation in life;
- and many more. I’ve got a post with 110 types of journals you could keep.
What journal should you start with?
I want to keep that one as simple as possible: whichever you prefer. Since this is a writing challenge, guided journals aren’t your thing at the moment (although they are a good option if you see that you struggle with this challenge).
If I were starting a new journal as a complete beginner in journaling, I would go to the nearest bookshop and pick the one notebook that speaks to my heart. I would get it regardless of how much it costs, and if it’s more expensive, that’s even better: knowing how much I’ve paid for it is another way to stay focused on writing in it.
Do you prefer shopping online? Check out some awesome cute journals you could order online from Etsy and get delivered in a few days only.
How do you practice daily journaling?
You want to find the time in your day when you are usually free and it’s relatively quiet around you. I would suggest you go with your sleep type. Are you a night owl or an early bird?
If you usually wake up early, as I do, mornings are the perfect time to squeeze in a writing session. It’s quiet, and the only thing you can hear is the scribbles of the pen on the paper. There is some magical feeling to being awake before everyone else.
But I know that night owls would say the same for the late hours of the day. I imagine your mind and body finally feel relaxed and ready to evaluate the day. Pour your heart onto the paper in those late hours when you thrive the most.
What is the first thing to write in a journal?
Here’s an answer you won’t like: Does it matter? Whatever you’d like!
And here’s why I answer this way…
Don’t allow the silly little obstacles to hold you from actually starting to journal.
If you know what you would journal about, but the things that stop you are “My writing is horrible!“, “I don’t know how to start!” and “Should I introduce myself!“, I would suspect that you are a perfectionist, and half of your ideas stay untouched because you are afraid you can’t execute whatever you imagine in your pretty head.
Perfectionism isn’t your friend. I know it isn’t mine. Instead of allowing it to control you, throw it out the window and get to work, girl!
This question made me open my old journals, and I can confidently tell you that I walk the talk. My first rows in a new journal are the same as any other entry on any other day. I just put the date and start pouring it all out.
What to do on the very first page of a journal?
You’ve got a few options: read the section above or the following few paragraphs.
Here are a few ideas on what to do with your first page in your new journal:
- Write your details – If you lose your journal, there is a better chance of someone returning it to you.
- Create a Contents page – if you have an important journal entry you want to keep coming back to, write the page number so you can easily find it.
- Get creative – Do a collage page or draw something.
- Write an inspiring quote – here are more than a few inspiring quotes.
- Write your goals – Remember the journaling goals we talked about above? Why not write them on the very first page? They will be a great reminder on those days when “journaling” doesn’t feel like something you’re good at.
- Add photos – They could be photos of your best moments this year or ones that mean something special to you.
How to stick to a 21-Day journaling challenge?
The best way to stick to a challenge is to follow these three rules:
- Be mindful of it every day for 21 days.
- Remove the obligation to keep journaling after the 21 days are over. Your goal isn’t to journal forever. That’s unrealistic. Your goal is to journal for 21 days only. What happens after that is a decision you will take after that!
- Stick the journaling session to another habit you already have well established.
Let’s focus on the last part a little bit more. Sticking one habit to another is the best way to avoid forgetting it. The formula is simple: choose a habit you already have and perform the new habit after that first established one. On the second or third day, you will associate the second habit with the first one, making it easier to perform.
To put it simply: you won’t forget about it.
What to write about on those 21 days?
Here are 21 journaling prompts that will make you fall in love with the art of journaling (you can grab the free printable below + a gift). It starts simple to get you going, but as the challenge progresses, you will notice that the questions get a lot deeper and truly “challenging”. Write from your heart, and never overthink what goes on the page.
Day 1 to 11 of your 21-day journaling challenge
1. Make a list of things you are grateful for in your life.
2. Journal about something good that happened today. What feelings did it bring to you? Was it expected? Who else was involved?
3. If you had to pick a word for the next week, what would it be? Why would you choose it? What are you hoping to achieve/experience?
4. Pick a focus word of the year. A focus word expresses what you want to focus on for the rest of the year.
5. Journal about the most significant milestone you’ve ever reached.
6. Journal about today. What happened?
7. Your topic is self-love. Write the first thing that comes to your mind if someone asks you: What does self-love mean to you, and do you practice it?
8. Write 10 sentences (minimum) that start with “What if…”
9. What is stressing you out right now? Why? How could you deal with it? List at least three options.
10. List your weekly/monthly/yearly goals. Keep them as brave and impressive as they sound in your mind—no time to overthink if they are achievable or not.
11. What is your current daily routine? Describe it in detail. What do you love the most about it?
Day 12 to 21 of your 21-day journaling challenge
12. What was your dream job as a child? What inspired the young You to have it? Is it still your dream job, and do you work it?
13. Thinking of the last month, what was your favorite day and why?
14. What is one thing you’d like to improve/change about your life right now? How can you make it happen? Write action steps.
15. Think of a negative mindset that has greatly affected your life. If you can’t find it, try the following: Start with a problem that bothers you. Describe it. Then write why it bothers you. If you still didn’t get to the mindset, add another why after your last sentence. Keep asking, “Why?” until you get to the bottom of the negative belief. That’s deep dive into your mental health; it will be extremely beneficial if you follow through with it.
16. Do you live a life of passion or obligations? How could you add more passion, joyfulness, and creativity to your everyday life?
17. What is something that makes you forget about everything else?
18. Who is the person you admire the most in life? Why? What about them, or their life feels so unique and attractive to you?
19. A year from now, what life would you like to live? How would a typical day go? What would you like to have accomplished?
20. How would your life change if you removed “fear” from it? What would be different?
21. How has that 21-day journaling challenge affected you? Did you learn something new about yourself? How do you feel about journaling now compared to 21 days ago?
Grab your free printable with the journaling prompts.
You get two sizes: A4 (works for USLetter size) and A5, which usually fits in most notebooks.
To grab your journaling challenge printable, click here or fill out the form below. You will get a tiny gift from me, but I am not telling you what that gift is.
Blogger, dreamer, procrastinator, and lover of everything soul-touching. My mission is to make you laugh, provoke your thoughts, light up your day and inspire you to fall in love with life and yourself.
