How to Journal: A Beginner's Guide to Daily Writing
Introduction
Welcome to the world of journaling! You may be wondering: what exactly is journaling?
At its core, journaling involves putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and recording your thoughts, feelings, and experiences as they unfold in your daily life.
Developing a consistent journaling habit isn’t just about creating a personal record of your days. It’s an incredibly powerful tool for…
9 of my favorite journal spreads from this year. I used my journal in a whole new way, and I've never felt closer to a notebook before. I'm really gonna miss it but I'm excited to see what happens next year...
so I'm doing a thing where I write daily and around the last week of December I compiled 31 one 1-5 word prompts and NOW ITS ALMOST DONE
For one, this is a testament to my self-proclaimed 'I can't commit to shit' and now I CAN HAHA IN YOUR FACE PAST ME
But the bad part is now I'm almost out lmao
I don't really wanna take prompts from like, Febuwhump cause I just wanna do whatever the hell I want without a ton of constraits (atm cause idk if I'd be able to keep this up if I limited myself) (see: last summer where I tried to write daily and make it at least a word longer than the previous day) (It crashed and burned cause I was like "lmao no wdym you can't commit to shit LOSER)
anyways
if people has a 1-5 word prompt they feel like sharing go ahead :D It can be put into dialogue, a concept, a setting, whatever you feel like
what i learned from 10 years of journaling: the story of the story of my life
youtube
guess who's back back again sruh is back tell a friend!
for the mathematicians out there... i am aware that i, in fact, am only technically beginning my 10th year of journaling this year and so, in fact, have yet to complete a full decade of journaling at this current moment. to that i say... i am but a youtuber trying to make a catchy title, not a mathematician.
also if my journal is considered female then we definitely don't always pass the bechdel test but that's between us.
Following the daily moon has helped me to organize my magic, my shadow work and my life altogether. Here’s what I focus on when the daily moon lands in a particular fire sign! 🔥
"Greenlights: Your Journal. Your Journey" a review
2/27/2024
I bought a copy of Matthew McConaughey’s book on journaling last Saturday. It’s called “Greenlights” Your Journal, Your Journey”.
The book consists of a number of pages that are largely blank but that contain a writing prompt. Although Mr. McConaughey begins with an explanation with how reviewing his journals in preparation to write a book from them was inspiring, the book results in a resounding thud.
Mr. McConaughey begins by saying that he has been keeping journals for 37 years.
He states in the book’s introduction that the value of journaling is that we get to know ourselves. “When we put pen to paper and share our feelings, thoughts, and opinions with the page, we begin to understand ourselves more clearly, and then begin to customize our lives around who we truly are."
Writing prompts are stifling. That’s what I meant by “thud” above.
The true writing prompts are the burns in the day. The insults. The fury over embarrassment . The outrage that has no voice in the avenues of the day, but that must be expressed. I save them to the end of the day. Just before bed. I can hardly wait some nights
to let them out onto the page.
So, what I do is open to a blank page in the note book—journal—I date it, and I might start out with some of the details of the day. This can be even writing about the howl of a distant train whistle as I begin writing. And, then I’’ll dive into what was burning from the day. I’ll use the energy from the event to fuel and inform my writing. The writing itself then becomes cathartic. Healing.
But, it also leaves a record of the day. A foot print.
If you do use a writing prompt, trying writing it in the center of a large piece of butcher paper. Draw a circle around the prompt and quickly, draw lines like spokes from a wheel coming out from the circled prompt. As you draw each line, at its end write whatever comes to your head that the prompt invoked. In this way, you can escape the editor in your head and get down a true expression of where you are at with the prompt.
Then , take these prompt insights and weave them into a journal entry.
1. Reflect on three things you are grateful for today and why.
2. Write about a recent accomplishment and how it made you feel.
3. Describe a challenging situation you faced and how you overcame it.
4. Write a letter of forgiveness to yourself or someone who has hurt you.
5. Explore a moment of pure joy or happiness in your life and relive it through words.
6. List five things that make you feel calm and create a plan to incorporate them into your daily routine.
7. Write a letter to your future self, describing where you want to be mentally and emotionally.
8. Identify and challenge a negative belief or self-critical thought you often have.
9. Describe a small act of kindness you can perform for someone and how it would make you feel.
10. Write about a difficult emotion you're experiencing and try to uncover its underlying cause.
11. Describe a self-care activity that brings you joy and plan to do it this week.
12. Write about a person who has positively impacted your life and how they have influenced your mental well-being.
13. Reflect on a time when you faced a fear or took a risk. How did it make you grow?
14. Write about a place in nature that brings you peace and tranquility. Describe it in detail.
15. Identify three positive affirmations or mantras that resonate with you. Write them down and repeat them daily.
16. Reflect on a mistake you made and what you learned from it. How can you apply this lesson in the future?
17. Describe a favorite memory from your childhood and why it holds significance for you.
18. Write a list of things you love about yourself, focusing on your strengths and unique qualities.
19. Explore a hobby or activity that brings you a sense of flow and write about your experiences while engaging in it.
20. Reflect on a difficult relationship in your life. What boundaries can you set to improve your mental well-being in that relationship?
Remember, journaling is a personal and introspective process, so feel free to modify or adapt these prompts to suit your needs and interests. Use your journal as a safe space for self-reflection, growth, and self-expression.
The truth behind stories, heroines journey, and the war of art: a 1-month plan to pursuing the Artists Journey
Fairy tales are more than true: not because they ” tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell usthat dragons can be beaten.
— Neil Gaiman, Coraline
In the vast landscape of storytelling, there exists a journey that has captured the imagination of humanity for centuries — the Hero’s Journey. It’s a timeless narrative structure, beautifully explored by Joseph Campbell, that takes our…