4 Tips to improve your Journaling for 2023

As a journal lover and someone who has had a journal practice in some capacity throughout my life, I set a goal in 2022 to be 'more intentional' with my journal practice. What eventuated was a self-reflection on why I wanted to journal and how.

I believed that writing would flow and be easy for me because I had set a goal to write more. This was the complete opposite. I was surprised when I struggled to write a paragraph in my new and fresh LEUCHTTURM1917 journal. The crisp pages remained mostly blank for the good part of 2022.

It led me to review the barriers behind my writer's block. In retrospect, I uncovered 4 tips to improve my journaling that I am taking with me into 2023, that I hope will add value to my journal practice and success.

“The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of the questions you are asking yourself” ― Anthony Robbins

4 tips I've learned in 2022

Don't overcomplicate - A key mistake I made when I set my goal for 2022 was maybe a little too much enthusiasm and overcomplicating the matter. As a stationery lover, I bought FOUR different journals for journaling. It was simply too much to commit to.

My advice, choose one notebook or guided journal and start with that. You may prefer a blank book like myself and create pages or themes as they suit. Or, you may prefer a guided journal. Intelligent Change creates a very easy and practical journal called 'The Five Minute Journal' that focuses on am/pm writing. And 'Moon Lists' is another favourite style of a guided journal that uses lists as a way to reflect.

Start Small - The next mistake I made on reflection was trying to write a full page or format, and got frustrated with myself when I didn't stick to it. Try to choose a specific time as a cue to write. I tend to write best in the morning. I set a reminder each morning, and as soon as I woke up, wrote a few lines about my feelings and thoughts.

Feel good about writing one word, one line or one page. There is no rule around how much you write. I started by writing one word to summarise the day, then one sentence on what I would change for tomorrow, and then a page of free thoughts.

Do whatever suits you and acknowledge your effort rather than your outcome.

Use Prompts - If you need extra guidance, use journal prompts. I purchased 'Introspect' conversation cards from Archley's, a method to guide my journal practice when I needed help with self-reflection questions.

Keep it visible - Leave your journal and writing tools near you or in an accessible place. The easier your journal practice is, the more likely you will stick to it. Keep your journal on your bedside table, in your bag, or on your coffee table to allow you to scribe and take notes as the need arises.

For more tips and thoughts on mindfulness and intentional living, visit my blog for more thoughtful and from-the-heart writing.

Helpful Links and Product Source:

• Intelligent Change - The Five Minute Journal

• Dreamy Moons - Manifest Journal

• Musings From the Moon - A year of Coming Home