Cover photo

How to Develop a Daily Journaling Habit

Galazio

Galazio

post image

Why Journal?

I start each day by writing for a few minutes while I drink my coffee. 

In the short term, journaling helps me make sense of my thoughts and feelings. In the long term, it gives me a window into memories I likely would have forgotten.

Despite how much I love it, I used to find journaling consistently quite challenging. I’d start a new journal with enthusiasm, then let weeks or months go by without writing again. For me, the biggest blockers were 1.) finding a convenient time to write and 2.) worrying about creating the perfect entry.

Here are the strategies that helped me create a consistent journaling habit:

  1. Find a journal that makes you excited to write

Is GSM important to you? Or a journal cover that matches your aesthetic? I think of my journal like an accessory since I bring it with me to most places. I love notebooks with bright colorful covers.

  1. Skip the first page

Perfectionism creeps in when I open a new journal and stare at the blank first page. Skipping the first page helps me to just start writing.

  1. Journal about anything and everything

Not every entry needs to be profound or goal-driven. Lists, stream of consciousness prose, doodles - all of it is journaling.

I write about the weather, the color of the light, how I’m feeling, what I expect my day to look like, and things I’m excited or anxious about. I write about the boring little details that don’t matter now but might be important to me later. I make lists of books read, places visited, and goals I’m setting. When I don’t feel like writing I draw doodles.

  1. Take your journal with you everywhere

    post image

This practice helped me discover that I love to write early in the morning. My favorite entries to re-read are the ones where I took out my journal in the most random places and wrote down a few thoughts.

4a. I recommend keeping your journal in a plastic bag when traveling to avoid mishaps like the time my journal ended up in a puddle of water on the floor of a rowboat.

Thank you for reading! Do you have any tips or strategies for journaling daily? I’d love to hear about them! :)


Collect this post as an NFT.

Subscribe to Galazio to receive new posts directly to your inbox.

StefanieFarcaster
Stefanie
Commented 1 year ago

Today I wrote about strategies that helped me start a daily journaling habit. 📖 I would love to hear if you have any other suggestions or tips for journaling consistently :) Title: How to Develop a Daily Journaling Habit https://paragraph.xyz/@galazio/daily-journaling-habit

DystopicHippy.eth 😼⌐◨-◨Farcaster
DystopicHippy.eth 😼⌐◨-◨
Commented 1 year ago

I want to get back to journaling. I’ve taken a prolonged break.

KelsFarcaster
Kels
Commented 1 year ago

You know I had to give you a follow! As a fellow journaling enthusiast myself I was hoping I’d meet others who journaled on here ❤️📝

StefanieFarcaster
Stefanie
Commented 1 year ago

So nice to meet you! :) What do you like to journal about? Any preferred stationary brands that you like?

KelsFarcaster
Kels
Commented 1 year ago

I tend to do my journaling digitally with apps like Notion and GoodNotes. But I did get this cheap weekly planner on Amazon that I use to recap my day and week in because it's so fun to build this memory keepsake book! And for that I use my washi tape, cute journal stickers and my glue dot stick! What about you?

How to Develop a Daily Journaling Habit