How to Journal- Part 1 of 2
I might be obsessed with notebooks; I don’t mean those regular rings bound lined paper pads in your office stationary cupboard. I mean the quality (maybe over-priced), leather bound books with a little pen holder maybe, a ribbon or two, tab stickers to separate sections. I love that moment when you crack open the pages of a new crisp notebook. I am seduced by the beautifully bound covers, the quality of the sheets, like snow that hasn’t been stepped on yet.
To me a new notebook is an invitation for reflection.
At the end of everyday you can find me rounding up the thoughts from my day in my journal. It soothes me and it helps me to organise my thought into a way of making sense of what I will do next.
I admit, journaling may not be for everyone, for some people it might be another chore, writing might not be your mode of expression and reflection, maybe the habit has never stuck. But I am hoping if you have read this far that you might be curious!
There are many types of journaling, writing in a free and reflective form, wild writing, illustrated journaling, structured journaling… the list goes on. So, it is no wonder that it is hard to start.
For Coaching- I almost always ask my coaching clients to start or keep a journal while we work together. This is sometimes the first time they are using a journal to reflect but often it is the way that the coaching experience can make real changes in your life and work.
I also get many questions about journaling from folk who are thinking about it or trying to journal, so I wanted to share some of my thought and ideas about journaling to hopefully inspire you to give it a try or step up the quality of your journaling.
I asked you on LinkedIn... Do you Journal?
Here is what my quick poll told me…
19% - Yes I regularly journal
37% - Yes but not consistently
19% - No but I would like to journal
26% - No it's not my thing
Some of you reported that it is a mechanism to manage stress and feelings of overwhelm, others find the process a great way to integrate knowledge with experiences.
Others I have spoken to, feel some pressure to write something worthy of the paper or just find that they can’t make a habit of it. So the biggest topic to tackle is maybe Consistency.
HOW TO START AND BE CONSISTENT
Here are a few of my practical tips and those I have researched to start journaling more consistently something- ‘anything’- something is better than not doing anything at all.
IMPORTANT NOTE - if you like fancy notepads, to own, but never write in. STOP! Firstly…What is the point! Your next of kin will one day be throwing them out saying… ‘they were just saving them because they were too nice to write in!’ Just don’t set yourself up for this to be the hurdle. If you know this is your issue just use a cheap notepad.
Keep it with you- I started with a notepad that would fit into my bag so that I could take it with me. When something pops into your mind you will have it available to use. It is also a great reminder at the end of the day to add an entry.
Pick a time of day that you are most likely to get the value from journaling. Morning, evening, lunchtime- the bathroom! What ever works! Once it becomes a habit just skip the odd day when you don’t feel like it. Sometimes you just don’t need to, and that is okay because you can pick right back up again. This should not be stressful, it should be relaxing so grab a nice drink in your fave spot and have some time to yourself.
Micro-habits. If you don’t know what to write - just find one word that sums up how you have experienced the day or what you would like to achieve today. Maybe after a few weeks you build to five words per day.
Get prompts. Just search for ‘Journaling Prompts’ and you will have all sorts of questions that you can write your reflections on. I also have a pack of reflective questions on cards that I pull out if I am stuck. There are so many aids so use them to help you get unstuck.
Would you like coaching support to get journaling?
Read part 2
In part 2, I share my tips to help you get more value from your journaling and I also share the formula that I use for my own journaling.
In the meantime, let me know what questions this throws up for you and get in touch if you are looking for a coach to help you to make the most of your journaling?
