How to Make Journaling a Habit

Today’s world seems to be more and more centered around technology. Even those who are not technologically-savvy can access a variety of apps to organize their schedules, keep track of finances, or even keep journals. If you have an abundance of social media accounts to keep track of your own personal brand and you want to take advantage of that, then you need an authentic personal brand journal. Even if you don’t have a massive social media presence or a brand for your friends and family members to recognize as yours, you probably still have things that are important to you or things that should be remembered. Keeping track of these memories is what personal journaling is all about. You don’t need a special app or some fancy accessories to do it either; the key lies in habit formation instead. Keep reading this article to learn how journaling can become a habit for you!

Related: Journaling for a Better You in 2022

Make a to-do list beforehand.

The first step to making a habit out of journaling is to make a to-do list. This will serve as your checklist of all the things you want to accomplish while journaling. Write down every goal you have for your journal and remember that achieving your goals will make it easier for you to continue this practice. If you’re not sure what kind of things are important to remember, think about what makes you happy or what is most important in your life right now. What memories do you want to keep? If possible, find some items around your house or even just write down a few words on a piece of paper and put it somewhere where you can see it often so that when inspiration strikes, it will be easy for you to get started writing. Now that you have your list, start with one thing on the list (or something small) and set aside time each day to achieve that goal or write in the journal. When we form habits like this, we are more likely to develop them into lifelong habits!

Related: 20 Journaling Prompts You Can Use Today

Set a daily routine.

We all have those days when we wake up and are just not feeling it. Whether you’re in a slump, overwhelmed, or just plain exhausted, those days can seem like an eternity. For those days when you don’t feel like journaling, set a routine for yourself. For example, get up at the same time every day and go for a walk outside to clear your head before journaling. Then come back home and sit down to write your thoughts as soon as you can. It might be difficult at first to make this habit work for you but keep trying. Eventually, it will become second nature!

Decide what you’ll write about.

When you start journaling, it can be helpful to set out some guidelines for what you want to write about. There are many different options for the type of journaling that you engage in, so think about what is important to you and how often you’ll journal. You might find that it helps to set a specific amount of time each day where your thoughts go down on paper rather than just letting them run amuck in your head. It’s good practice to revisit old journals as well. If you don’t want to commit yourself to write every day, however, then choose a time of the week or month when you will write instead. There are also different approaches and methods of journaling- make sure that whatever guidance you decide on is one that works well with the way that your brain works!

Journaling can be hard at first.

Turning journaling into a habit is not easy. It may seem like it’s going to be much easier than you think, but in reality, journals can take a lot of time to write. When you first start journaling, getting into the habit will take some time and effort. However, building the habit of journaling can lead to personal growth and self-improvement that is worth the effort. The best way to make journaling a habit is by creating a system for yourself. For example, if you know that your mind needs some fleshing out before you start writing, then try making a list of goals on what you want out of your writing session before actually starting the journaling process. Setting mindsets for yourself or planning how long your writing sessions will last will help create consistency with your journal entry habits. Another good rule of thumb is setting up reminders on your phone so that when you have time in your schedule that’s good for writing (like during lunch), they'll remind you of it! By reminding yourself in advance, it's easier to stick with the routine instead of slacking off on it every time something more interesting comes along! Another helpful tool is keeping track of how many days per week you are journaling; this helps keep things consistent and will also help you determine whether or not the practice is working for you or not!

Related: 6 Journaling Tips to Make It Part of Your Daily Routine

Don’t edit what you’ve already written.

First of all, keep a journal. It’s not enough to start writing and stop after the first few entries. If you want your journal to develop into a habit, then you need to make it a part of your routine. Just like brushing your teeth or taking care of your hair, journaling is something that needs to be done every day for it to work. You don’t have to make any big changes in order for this to happen; just start with small changes like scheduling time for yourself and keeping track of what you’re doing throughout the day. When you write things down, they become much more real and tangible instead of just floating around in your head constantly. It also helps if you write down the date when the event happened or the place where it took place so that those memories don’t just fade away. As long as you commit to writing daily and remembering what’s important by writing about it at least once per month, then keeping a journal will start becoming a habit for you!

Figure out your triggers and find an activity that helps you feel happier.

There are many ways to start journaling. It could be as simple as sitting down and writing in a notebook for five minutes every morning or writing in a journal before bed every night. What you choose to write about is up to you, but finding your triggers can help you set a routine that fits with your life better. The trigger could be anything from something that happened during the day to something that happened recently to a feeling you have or something you experienced or saw recently. Once you find your triggers, brainstorm new activities that will help get you into the habit of journaling. Maybe park all day at the beach? Maybe go on an extended walk through nature? Maybe cook for a friend and spend time cooking together? These activities are just examples and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but asking what activities make you feel happy can help with forming a personal journaling habit!

Conclusion

Journaling is a habit that many people have trouble getting into, but with a little planning and persistence, anyone can make it a part of their daily routine.