How to Get Started Journaling

Journaling is a powerful tool that probably not enough people take full advantage of. It might seem like a waste of time to some; however, journaling offers many benefits. The greatest benefit that I believe you will gain from journaling is greater self-awareness. If you want to increase your emotional intelligence, make journaling a daily habit.

Through journaling you can learn a lot about yourself and gain a lot of insight into your life. There’s something special about writing that thinking alone just doesn’t have.

There are studies that say it’s more effective to use actual pen and paper when journaling. However, I prefer to reap all of the benefits that come with using a journaling app on my smart phone and computer.

If you’re interested in journaling, but you don’t know how to get started, try these tips:

1. Begin by journaling once a day at the end of your day before you go to bed.
2. Review your day and write about anything significant that occurred.
   • What happened?
   • What mistakes did you make?
   • What did you do right?
   • What did you learn?
   • How can tomorrow be better than today?
   • How can you apply what you learned from these experiences in the future?
3. Think about goals you’re working on and list the progress you made toward them. If you failed to do anything to make progress toward one or more of your goals, note that, too.
4. Address your fears during your time of journaling. Write about what are you afraid of and why you think you’re afraid of those things? How are your fears impacting your life? Journaling about your fears can help you to develop a plan to address those fears.
5. Write about things in your life that you’re grateful for. Make a list each day of things that make you feel grateful.

These are just some ideas on how to get started journaling. Start with just number one and two and then expand your journaling as you get more comfortable with it. Don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of time each day to start. Start small and simple. As you get accustomed to journaling, it will become more of a habit and you’ll find it easier to write more and more often. It won’t be long before you begin noticing the benefits that journaling can bring.