Not Sure What to Write in Your Journal? Start Here

Every day, we read an article or watch a video from which we learn something. And we want to remember it so we can apply it in our life. But nine out of ten, we forget about it in just a few days.

Writing down what you learned that day saves your learning in the long-term memory of your journal, and ultimately in your mind.

I adopted this method a month ago, and since then, I have been continuously writing my learnings, two or three times per week.

Simply, give a heading ‘What I learned Today’ and underneath that, write the thing you learned that day.

Morning Pages are three paragraphs of writing ideally done first thing in the morning.

This means, start your day by writing three paragraphs of stream-of-consciousness writing, without worrying about any grammar rules.

This method of journaling was given by Julia Cameron in his book The Artist’s Way.

Now, every entry of my journal starts with Morning Pages. I write what’s on my mind that morning. Now, I don’t stare at a blank page anymore.

Writing a full article is hard. But writing just three paraphs is not hard, especially when it isn’t about something specific.

As the name suggests, a dream journal is used to record your dreams.

Every time you wake up from a dream, write down what you saw. Be sure to write as early as possible because we tend to forget most of the details of our dream within a few hours from waking up.

I know it feels weird writing your dreams, especially the creepy ones that you don’t want to remember. But I have observed that by writing down my dreams, I can see a pattern in my thinking. Because dreams are said to be the result of what’s going on in your subconscious mind.

If you are worried about a certain thing, a mind dump journal is best for putting your chaotic mind in order.

Not just for worries, you can also use this method for dumping your overwhelming thoughts and your craziest ideas.

A mind dump journal helps you clear your mind by letting out your thoughts and ideas. It’s like decluttering your mind.

Just get a pen and a paper, or open your note-taking app and start writing your ideas, thoughts, or any worries right now. Set a timer of 10 to 20 minutes and start writing.

A bullet journal is very famous these days. It planning tool which combines your calendar with your to-do list and your long and short-term goals.

1. A future log to write your future goals and plans
2. A monthly log to track your monthly goals
3. A daily log for keeping track of your daily tasks. It’s basically your to-do list.

A bullet journal has many benefits. On one hand, it helps you visualize your daily and monthly goals. On the other hand, it gives you a sense of accomplishment when you complete your tasks.

Whenever you feel discontent with life, writing down the three things you are grateful for can help you realize “you are blessed with so many things that you take for granted”.

\When writing a gratitude journal, don’t just list the names of things. Instead write down the reasons why you are grateful, for that specific thing.

Like just writing ‘I am grateful for my laptop’ is not going to make you grateful for your laptop. It’s better to write ‘I am grateful for my laptop which has helped me write articles, which other people read and learn from them’.