I've kept a diary since 1997. Here's how I stay consistent.
You buy a journal, you write in it three times, and then you never write it again. Then three months later, you read another article about how great journaling is, you buy another journal, you're write in it three times, and you never write it again.
Sound familiar? Let's change that.
I am here to give you my tips on how to write consistently in a journal. And how do I know? Well, I'm so glad you asked! I’ve been journaling since September of 1997, so I know a thing or two about staying consistent with journaling.
Keep reading to learn my tips for creating a consistent journaling routine.
How Journaling Can Help You
I originally started journaling because I was obsessed with the movie Harriet the Spy. So, my friend Lucy and I would we have little notebooks and we would write in them, and then we would spy on our neighbor.
I remember wanting to record my life because I was hit with the realization of the fleeting nature of life from an early age, and I wanted to record as much as I possibly could. So it started as a way to remember as much as I possibly could. I didn't start writing introspectively or talking about emotions for years.
Why do I continue to write in a diary? For one, it's just my identity now. If you make something part of your identity, you'll probably just do it forever. Because who would you be if you stop?
I can already see how much it's helped my memory since 1997. I really treasure the memories that I wrote down, especially if they're about someone who has passed away.
I’ve been in therapy for about four years, and I use my journal as a tool for therapy. I meet with my therapist either every week or every other week, and I don't always remember what my emotions were every day and everything that happened. Writing in a diary helps me keep better track of what's been happening and how I've been feeling.
Journaling has had a big impact on my mental health and helps me when I feel overwhelmed. If I have a lot of stuff going on, it helps to get it all out on the pages. Once it's out, it's not in my head anymore. I feel lighter!
It also helps me prioritize things and get my life in order and has helped me manifest great things in my life.
Basically, I don't even know what I think if I don't write it down. I have to process by talking to people or writing on paper, and journaling has played a big role in that.
5 Tips for Journaling Consistently
#1: Buy a Physical Journal
A lot of people recommend using your Notes app on your phone or using Notion or a similar app. In my opinion, you get the most benefit out of journaling if you actually physically write.
I spent a couple years doing a digital diary when I was a digital nomad because I didn't want to have to carry a bunch of notebooks around and ship them home, and I didn’t enjoy the process as much.
I think that there is something to be said about the analog process of physically writing in your diary.
You also need a physical diary for my next tip. But before we get into that, let's talk about what to look for in a physical journal.
I recommend a hardcover diary. I often use a composition book because they have a hard cover, so you can sit on the couch and have it on your lap. I also recommend high quality paper and some good pens while you're at it.
The goal here is to make the process of writing as pleasant as possible, because you want it to feel good when you do it. I usually invest in something that’s higher quality, because I've noticed if something feels expensive to me, I am much more likely to use it and enjoy it. But maybe your brain doesn't work that way.
#2: Add journaling on to an existing habit
This is standard habit creation advice: add a new habit to an existing habit you’re already doing. I always write in my diary while I'm drinking my second cup of coffee every morning. It's part of my morning routine.
And I'm going to be drinking that second cup of coffee anyway, so I might as well write on my journal.
You can do this however you want. For example, you could put your journal on your bedside table so you write when you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed at night. You could put it on your coffee table in the living room so when you get home from work and you sit down on the couch to watch TV, you can write in your diary for 20 minutes. Or 10 minutes. Or one minute!
You could put it in your car so when you’re done with work, you get in the car, you write in your diary, you drive home, physically put it somewhere where you will see it while you're doing the thing that you're already doing every day anyways.
You could even put it next to your toilet if you want to write while you're on the potty.
Image credit: @fresh_studio (Unsplash)
#3: Aim to write a little bit every day
The hardest thing is just sitting down and actually opening the diary. The goal is to open it up, put the day, and write one sentence. Then if you feel like you want to keep going, just keep going! If you don't want to, then don't.
Don't give yourself some kind of goal like, “I'm gonna write three pages every day” or “I'm going to finish this journal in the next month.”
Just try to write a little bit every day. When making a goal, it's better to focus on the action you're going to do versus the outcome, because you can't really control the outcome. So focus on the thing you can control, which is you doing the action of writing.
#4: Write whatever comes to mind
You can write about whatever you want. Seriously, anything. Whatever comes to your mind first.
When I sit down in the morning, I always recap the day before. I talk about what I'm going to do next and how I feel.
But you could write about things that annoy you, you could make a gratitude list, you could write about something that you've learned.
The good news is that it does not matter. Just start writing.
#5: Read through your past entries
When you identify all these personal insights in your diary, but then you immediately forget them, what's the point?
You won’t be getting the most out of journaling if you don't read it again and reflect on your past feelings.
I pick one day a week (Monday mornings) and I read through the past week of entries and make a chart. The chart says happy on one side and unhappy on the other side. As I'm reading through the entries, I make a bulleted list of the things in the past week that made me happy and the things in the past week that made me unhappy.
Then, when I'm organizing my week and creating my to-do list, I try to put more of the things on my to-do list that make me happy while eliminating the things that make me unhappy.
Sometimes, I try to read my journals at the end of the year or around my birthday. I'll go back and reflect on the past year. It’s a time commitment, but it’s so rewarding.
Do you keep a diary? Do you have more tips for creating a consistent writing routine? Leave a comment on my YouTube video and let’s chat!