Now you know that keeping a journal is a great idea and all the benefits it will provide this is only the beginning; next you need to motivate yourself to keep up with it. It is generally recommended that you write in your journal every day, but at least doing it on a regular basis can be helpful. Look at these easy ways to motivate yourself to keep writing in the journal.
Have a Good Reason to Keep a Journal
First of all, you need to know exactly why you are journaling in the first place. You really need to think about the benefits of journaling and decide what your personal reason is for writing in the journal. This is often a personal decision, such as wanting to figure out why your anxiety or depression has increased, or wanting to express your feelings in a way where you feel safe and not judged. Decide what your individual reason is, and it will motivate you to keep writing.
Choose the Right Type of Journal
The journal you write in also makes a difference in motivating you to use it. If it is a large journal that doesn’t fit in your purse, you probably won’t use it often. It should be something you could access at any time, such as putting it in your laptop bag, briefcase, handbag, or even the glove box of your vehicle. The mood may strike during your lunch break when you’re in the lunch room, and it helps to have the journal available at that time.
Decide On a Method You Want to Use
There may also be a certain type or method of journaling that becomes more motivational to you than other methods. It is possible you are not someone to write long sentences and paragraphs, you really enjoy keeping track of everything with bullet journaling. On the other hand, when discovering different forms of journaling, you may want o simply keep a regular daily journal or a food journal if you are trying to lose weight. Find the type of journal you want to keep, and you will find the motivation to continue doing it each day.
Make it More Creative
Perhaps what will motivate you is making journaling more interesting. You could be someone who enjoys colors and pictures more than plain text, so if you have fun colorful pens and various art supplies, you are much more willing to keep up with your daily journaling than using a plain black or blue pen.
Make it Fun
There are so many styles of journals available these days, why not choose a journal that you find fun to write in? Your journal could be simply plain lined sheets that you print out as needed. Or you may prefer a pretty journal that has an inspiring cover. One idea I like is to have four small journals each year. One for each of the seasons, I just print mine out and pop into a binder or folder.
Find a Relaxing Place
This is a great tip that can really help you get your creative juices flowing. That is to find a relaxing place to journal. You may find that sitting out on your front porch with your coffee each morning is very relaxing. Or you may prefer to go to your local park, lake or even coffee shop. Just find a location that suits you and allow your thoughts to flow and get writing.
Fun Journaling Prompts to Get Started
One of the hardest things you may encounter is knowing what to write in your journal, day after day. You may have decided to start journaling for your health, weight loss journey, or simply to get you through a tough time in your life. One way you can get started on the right foot is through journaling prompts. These are questions or ideas that you can begin writing to develop the routine of journaling. Here are a few fun journaling prompts that can get anyone started.
What Would You Do If
Prompts that start off with the phrase, “What would you do if,,,”, tend to lead to fun discoveries about yourself. You can find out how you would handle a situation. These prompts can be as dull or as fun as you want them to be, just remember what they do. They actually can show a lot about your personality, your reasoning skills, and critical thinking. You may never actually be faced with what you would do if 100 mice got free in a pet store you managed, but you will find out if you think logically in a high stress situation.
If You Were
If you were prompts can range from very serious questions, like if you were a lawyer, to very funny questions. The idea behind these prompts is to help you work out situations and see them from both sides. Some journaling enthusiasts call this type of a prompt the King Solomon prompt because you end up viewing it from both sides and actually thinking about what you would do if you were king or in charge of laws. These are ideal if you are a political or history buff.
Describe Your Dream Life
Description based prompts, especially ones that deal with your dream life, are very popular. These prompts help you work through what things are important to you and help you find out what things do not matter after certain issues in your life. Ideally these prompts are written so they can be reviewed at a later date. You review the post then look back and see what things no longer matter to you, and rewrite the post. Compare the two to see the differences in your lifestyle and viewpoints.
You can use prompts once in awhile, weekly, or even daily. There are some prompts that are specific to your goals, or you can go with random journaling prompts. You may also want to consider journals that are nothing but prompts. If you need more inspiration for journal prompts then be sure to visit Pinterest and check out specific journal prompt boards.