How I’ve Managed to Consistently Journal for the Past Three Years

As a kid and then teenager and then college student I very much wanted to keep a journal. I’m afraid of growing up and not having any record of my daily life or a way to access forgotten memories.

It’s scary when you ask an adult about a time in their life and they can’t recall any details.

Journaling is heralded as the life changing answer for mental health problems, productivity, and organization. You’re supposed to journal every day, track every place you go, everything you do, purchases, your thoughts, feelings, aspirations, blah blah blah blah.

And much of the advice and inspiration on keeping a journal seems to be productivity or aesthetic driven.

I’ve tried setting reminders to journal, (not helpful), carving out weekday slots to fill in (waste of paper), buying so many art supplies (I don’t regret this). Nothing worked and I always ended up not only feeling bad about myself, but terrified over the parts of my life that are already lost to time since I didn’t document them.

What I’ve learned is having rules around something as personal as journaling is dumb!

Your journal isn’t supposed to be weapon you wield against yourself. It’s ok to live your life and not stress over capturing it in some tangible form. Sure, you could get dementia and forget everyone you ever loved and everything you ever built, but it would be better to have no record of this life than a record you traded your peace for.

I’ve managed to consistently journal over the past few years because I stopped putting pressure on myself over it. Journaling has became something fun. It’s something I look forward to.

My best advice is to find what works for you and ignore everything else. But if you’re interested, here’s what’s currently working for me:

1. Using only notebooks I love.

I donated all the notebooks I received as gifts or bought for myself but later realized I didn’t like. I don’t use spiral bound, or ones with covers that are difficult to keep clean. The paper needs to be high quality and have lines or grids.

2.  Using one journal for everything in my life.

I use the same notebook for my personal life, creative projects, and professional work. It’s just one thing I have to keep track of and everything I could possibly need on any given day is with me.

3. Using pages in chronological order.

I don’t section out anything. This wastes paper. Instead I’ll label the top of a page or use washi tape on the edge of a page to categorize it. And I always clearly date every entry.

4. Making a monthly spread.

This can include a calendar, goals, trackers, a daily one line memory or event (that I don’t worry about entering every day). I make mine themed and adorable but it’s not necessary.

5. Allowing myself to write whatever the fuck I want.

No one should ever have access to this journal besides me. I let myself write as raw and real as I am.

I used to try sounding intelligent. Now I just put down all those idiotic thoughts and feelings. I don’t write with my future self reading it back in mind—who am I in this moment?

6. Doodling. A lot.

I doodle constantly in my journal. I sketch out project ideas. Having lines helps with accuracy and symmetry and it doesn’t feel like I’m wasting nice drawing paper therefore I’m more likely to sketch.

8. Pasting in trash.

Gluing in tickets, receipts, brochures, etc. is a wonderful way to document my life. They have preprinted dates, times, places, and events eliminating the need to write that all down.

I cut out images from museum guides and advertisements.

I don’t buy all that fake vintage crap or print things off—there’s plenty already out there that will otherwise go to waste.

Elmer’s glue sticks work great for this.

9. Taking it everywhere.

I never leave the house without my journal and a pen.

10. Never forcing anything.

I don’t write every day. I don’t keep track of my mood or hormone cycle to compare with my productivity. I don’t do anything I don’t feel like doing. If it’s not sticking it’s probably not working.

11. Brain dumping.

Sometimes there’s too much swirling around in my brain to write or create with clarity. I’ll take a page and write down everything that comes to mind—random ideas, messages I need to send, errands I need to run, stuff I want to do, stuff I’m worried about, literally everything that pops into my brain.

I free my brain from the burden of having to keep track of or process all of life’s shit. Brain dumps often include the same things as a previous brain dump. Patterns emerge and I gain insight on some of the behaviors or mind states I can increase awareness around.

Journaling consistently has not completely transformed my life—but it has improved it. Time feels a little slower. My days feel more meaningful even if all I did was sketch the moon making a weird face.

I don’t think I’ll be stopping any time soon.