Journaling Ideas To Help You Improve

Your journal’s contents will determine its success.

Here are a few of my favorite journaling ideas. If you want to use one of them, combine them, or pick the one that speaks to your current situation in life, feel free to do so.

Each of these journaling ideas below has been useful to me at some point in my life. Whether I am coping with tough times, achieving my goals, maintaining my sanity, or fostering my creativity.

Make a daily goal list

This is my favorite journaling idea on this list. And it has been part of my morning routine for over ten years. The first thing I do every morning is grab my journal and rewrite my goals. It’s a daily practice and I never miss a day.

This journaling habit became a lifelong habit for two reasons:

1. When I journal my goals, I am reminded of what matters most to me at the moment (I have found that some of the goals I rewrite will become more specific, while others will change or disappear completely).
2. It’s amazing what happens when you write down what you truly, deeply, sincerely want in life – you start to achieve it. The best ideas come to you out of nowhere, and your mind propels you to achieve your goals. There’s something beautiful about it.

To make this work, do this:

• Make sure to write down your top 10 or 15 goals every morning before you start your day.
• Do the same thing the next day without checking the previous day’s work.
• If you do this for 30 days, you’ll notice that your goals will begin to clarify, transform, or change altogether. It helps you focus on what you really want in life, which is good.

Keep a daily log

This is your day-to-day journal: what you did, what you ate, who you saw and spoke with. Feel free to log whatever you want. It’s a good way to keep track of your life. It’s great to have a handwritten record of what you’ve done on any given day… And trust me, it comes in handy, I promise.

Making this work is easy:

• Choose a journal that you can carry wherever you go. (These are the ones I use.)
• Simply keep track of various events throughout your day.
• It’s up to you whether you jot stuff down, draw pictures, or make detailed notes. It’s critical to keep the parameters loose enough so you actually do it since it’s something you’ll need to do daily.

Journal what you’re grateful for

Choose three things you are grateful for. My three things to be grateful for today are:

• My family.
• The ability and knowledge to help people who are sick or injured.
• My own health.

It’s as easy as that. It’s up to you how detailed or specific you want to be. The list can even go on for as long as you like. Make sure you include at least three items.

Remember… You can journal your gratitude anytime during the day, but I recommend starting your day with it each morning. Genuine gratitude spreads positivity throughout your day, empowering you to approach your work, your clients, your family, and everyone else with optimism.

Try this:

• Open your journal or planner.
• Take a moment to write down three things you’re grateful for.
• Make your list in the morning (optional, but highly recommended).
• Also, if you already keep a journal, planner, or to-do list, you can just use one of those pages to write down your 3 gratitudes. In this way, you can view it as you check things off throughout the day.

Problem-solving journaling

Moving to a bigger house, changing jobs, discovering your life’s purpose – these are examples of life challenges that can be journaled about – and solved.

The benefit of journaling about your problems is that when we only think about our problems our brains tend to enlarge them, making them seem bigger than they are. However, when we write our problems down, we minimize them.

Putting pen to paper doesn’t solve your problems immediately, but you realize they aren’t as daunting as you thought once you’ve written them down – and that’s a great first step.

Dealing with stress

The reason we feel stressed about something is usually because our thoughts are scattered. Or because we’re really angry. There are so many things to do and think about right now that we are overwhelmed.

I have found that journaling for stress has a therapeutic effect. I use my journal when I’m angry or confused about how to approach some personal issue I’m wrestling with in my head. When I begin these journaling sessions, I simply scribble out a bunch of incoherent run-on sentences laced with F-bombs.

Then, after I get the anger, confusion, or whatever out of my system, I start writing about my feelings. My first step is to ask myself why I feel how I do, and then I write everything down. There’s no holding back for me. And it helps.

While the stress may not go away completely, it’s a better alternative to medicating yourself. Writing about what stresses you out is a great way to uncover what is causing your stress, something that drugs can never do. Whenever we face a major challenge, it’s important to start at the roots if we want to reap the benefits.

The best thing that happened today …

Just before bed, grab your journal and write down the single best thing that happened to you today. Pick just ONE thing. “The best thing that happened today” is so powerful because it forces you to focus on something positive before you drift off to sleep. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that it’s better to think about something positive when you go to sleep than about something negative before you go to bed.

Conclusion

My daily practices include: 1) journaling what I’m grateful for, 2) keeping a daily log, and 3) each night before bed, I list the single best thing that happened that day. For me, these three are “gotta do”. I do the rest less frequently, or when it is necessary.

It is entirely up to you what you decide to do. However, if you’ve never journaled before, I suggest choosing just one thing from the list, trying it, and then moving on to the next. When you’ve tried them all, you’ll be able to decide which ones to keep and which ones to eliminate.