10 years of transformative Journaling. Here's how...

Journaling - My Journey and Experience

"You become what you give your attention to." - Epictetus

This is a hot topic, here’s my take on how to get started, some tools and how to make it a habit. 

My practice has evolved over the 10 or so years I’ve done this, and I’ve tried a multitude of products and techniques to maximise my results. For me, the focus is to try and have a meaningful conversation with my best self. In my experience, this version carries no judgement, has deep insight into consequences, and approaches all things with love and kindness. If I talk to this guy often, he’s more likley to show up when I need him. Some people take solace from simply writing about their day, food and experiences. This is both helpful and a useful on-ramp to what journaling can be: a tool for growth.  My suggestions are geared towards experiencing the latter; self-development oriented journaling. 

Getting started 

First and very importantly, unless you have a medical reason not to, your journaling should be done with a pen and captured on actual paper. When you write on paper with a pen, you tend to feel a closer connection with the written words, as there’s a link between the physical presence and intimacy of the pen and paper. Yes, typing is faster allows searching and storage is ubiquitous. However, the act of slowing down, and indelibly expressing the narrative and emotions by touch makes it so much more meaningful. Please give this a go. 

I have a wee hack for you digital addicts out there: I use an iPad with the goodnotes app, an apple pencil and a ‘paperlike’ cover. It feels pretty close to paper, the text is reference-able for searching, and I always have all my journals (the last 2 years since i switched to this) available. I still prefer actual paper however and I will go back to it sometime again soon. Once you’re past the starter tools (discussed next), you can’t go past the moleskine range. They’re affordable, there’s many options available and they’re excellent quality! When coupled with a nice rollerball pen, the visceral experience is quite special. 

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius

Whilst you can absolutely just sit down and start writing, in my experience a lack of structure is a more advanced technique so I advocate getting going with some support. 

The simplest quickstart is to utilise one of the many great products available with prompts, it’ll create a solid foundation, build the habit and establish momentum. 

First step is The 5 minute journal. It is what it says. Morning and night entries, its very prescriptive and easy. After a month I found it too restrictive, so I upgraded to the next tool.

Levelling Up

Level 2 (for me) is the Mindjournal. It is targeted towards men, but IMO thats a positioning thing. Its universal and I’ve gifted it to females to great success. The MJ creates an excellent base through posing some compelling questions, it utilises some simple and powerful models, and builds the tension as it goes. Once you’ve completed the first 30 ‘days’, you’re on your own and can start freestyling, with some emotional word prompts, for the next 30 days before casting you loose. 

If you’re female, and/or don’t like the c$100 price tag (what price for happiness?) theres now a myriad of alternatives to the Mindjournal. Searching will serve up dozens of options; for me I think just getting started is more important than the actual tool you use (the image above is my stack of completed journals). In some ways, they should all provide some utility for you, and if you feel challenged by a question - there’s likely a breakthough opportunity available. 

When you’re ready, or if you’re a double black diamond as a beginner type of person, lets dial it up!  

Fucking Smile Foundation has a journaling ‘course’ that provides some structure to allow you to find your voice when writing. To me, I don’t think its worth the money, youtube should give you good prompts. 

Morning Pages, as described in The Artists Way by Julia Cameron, is a simple concept, which I found quite difficult to do daily (I love it on a weekend). For those with more time on their hands, this advocates sitting down and just following the pen to see where it leads. You should write 3 full pages, with no or minimal structure. The idea behind this exercise is that it allows you to enter a “creative recovery” by giving your thoughts complete freedom in their expression. No limits. No expectations. 

Morning pages is very similar to automatic writing. This could delve a little into the woo-woo for you, but I know of two people that have practiced this for some years, and in both instances have tapped into the divine. Neale Donald Walsch famously did this to have Conversations With God. Worth a read if you’ve not done so. The other is a friend of mine who communicates with someone who, when researched, was the 8th man in existence, according to the bible. 

Personally, I haven’t committed to automatic writing - perhaps I’m a little scared? 

Lastly, Jordan Petersen has a USD$30 Self Authoring program. At its simplest, it's a bunch of questions for you to ponder - thus journaling. They demand a fairly deep focus, and are quite challenging. But as with all things, the challenge is commensurate with the reward. 

How to create the habit

Habits are the building blocks of living a full life. I’ve dabbled with a number of slots and approaches to do my journaling, this is my experience with each. 

End of day - leave the journal sitting by your bed. This worked for me on and off for about 6 years, life then accelerated into the red zone of busyness and I realised one day I’d picked my pen up twice in the prior month. Upside - presumably you go to the same bed every day, so its always there. Downside - I hit the pillow fairly tired 4/7 days, and mustering the energy can be tough. 

Unscheduled approach - whenever you’re called to it. On holiday and the weekends, this is a winner. Upside - I’m called to write if something is on my mind or stuck in my craw (what even is a craw?!) and this is a golden moment for reflection and growth. Downside - if you’re like most people I know, the schedule is stacked from rising to retiring. No scheduling frequently means no doing. 

Now - I’ve adopted the 10/10/10 method. I rise, have the morning cocktail of himalayan salt and lemon juice, then move (lift, stretch or walk), to wake the body and system up. Now it’s 10/10/10 time - I meditate for 10 minutes, write for 10 minutes and read for 10 minutes. Then I do a journaling top up when I’m called to do so; in the evenings and always on the weekend. Writing after meditating allows exploring that thing I shouldn’t have been thinking about, but was, and hopefully deal to it. 

"Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body." - Seneca

I love a good list, here’s 10 additional universal tips to make it great:

1. Start small: Begin with just 5-10 minutes a day. This can help you build momentum and prevent overwhelm.
2. Choose a time that works for you: Set a specific time each day for journaling, such as right after waking up or before going to bed.
3. Create a comfortable space: Find a quiet and comfortable place to write where you can focus and feel relaxed.
4. Keep it simple: Don't worry about writing a masterpiece. Simply write down what comes to mind, whether it's just a few sentences or several pages.
5. Set goals: Decide what you want to achieve with your journaling and set specific goals. This can help keep you motivated and focused.
6. Use prompts: If you're unsure what to write about, use prompts to get you started. There are many journaling prompts available online or you can create your own.
7. Stay consistent: Try to write in your journal every day, even if it's just for a few minutes.
8. Review your journal: Take some time to review what you've written in your journal. This can help you gain insights, identify patterns, and track your progress.
9. Celebrate your successes: Acknowledge your achievements and celebrate your progress. This can help you stay motivated and build confidence.
10. Be kind to yourself: Remember that journaling is a personal and private practice. Don't judge yourself or worry about making mistakes. Just keep writing and let the process unfold naturally.

Hopefully this covers sufficient bases to be helpful to get you started, or to evolve your practice!