Learn about the power of journaling, the benefits of journaling, how to start and all the different ways to journal...
The Complete Guide to How to Start Journaling:
What is Journaling?The Benefits of Journaling
Why Journaling is Important
Famous People and Historical figures who journaled
Journaling Ideas
Spiritual Journaling - The Woo side of Journaling
How to Start Journaling
Journaling Tips
Journaling Prompts
Types of Journals
Journaling Books
Studies on Journaling
What is Journaling?
Journaling is the art of writing down your thoughts, feelings, and dreams to gain clarity, explore the Self, and connect with Source. And, it's the easiest way to tap into your feelings, raise your vibrations, get aligned, inspired, and motivated!
Why does Journaling Work?
It helps you become aware of how you think, shift your beliefs, and update the program that you’re running. It’s the fastest way to rewire your brain and connect to something bigger:
You can begin to change yourself from the inside out!
Journaling is an ancient tradition, one that dates back to at least 10th century Japan. - Maud Purcell
The Benefits of Journaling:
Spiritual Benefits:
• Connect with your Higher-Self and Source• Have more gratitude
• Be happier
• Raise your vibrational frequency
• Explore your spiritual side
Success Benefits:
• Achieve goals faster
• Solve problems
• Become more creative
• Flush out new ideas
• Dream even bigger
Personal Benefits:
• Build self-confidence and gain clarity• Work through fears, doubts, and worries
• Heal faster
• Lower your stress levels
• Reflect on your life choices
Robin Sharma: I write in a journal daily. This extraordinary ritual has revolutionized my mindset, transformed my heart set and generally influenced my life exponentially.
- Robin Sharma
Seven Reasons Why Journaling is Important:
1. YOU CAN CONNECT WITH YOURSELF ON A MUCH DEEPER LEVEL
• You're more in tune with your thoughts, feelings, and desires.
• You can get out of your head and connect to your heart - which is the energy of love and a very powerful, high-vibe frequency!
• You become more aware of who you are and what you want out of life - clarity is the name of the game.
2. YOU CAN SHIFT YOUR ENERGY AND RAISE YOUR VIBRATIONAL FREQUENCY
• When you align with positive energies you raise your vibrational frequency which makes it easier to manifest.
• You're available to more information when you're playing in the higher frequencies.
3. YOU CAN TAP INTO YOUR INTUITION
• You can tap into your intuition when you allow yourself to let go and are open - this creates an avenue to connect with your Higher-Self.
• You can connect with Source Energy, your angels, and spirit guides too. (When you're open and available it's much easier for higher energies to reach you!)
• You're available to more ideas and creative solutions.
I’ve often wondered if it was only me writing or if I’ve tapped into something bigger - whatever the answer, I’m glad I found a way in. - Denise Beaulieu
4. YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS FASTER
• Journaling helps you gain clarity on what you want and why.
• When you have clarity on your dreams, then the Universe can jump in and assist you!
• When you tap into your why and align with those desires, you begin to feel more inspiration and excitement - and that's fuel for manifesting!
• You can begin to understand why you do what you do and look for patterns.
When you begin to see what's really going on, which also means how you're thinking on a subconscious level, then you can create successful habits and ditch the ones that are steering you in the wrong direction! Action always follows thought.
You don't get what you want in life, you get your habits - Jim Fortin
5. YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH SKYROCKETS
• You can build your self-esteem, self-worth, and confidence.
• You can process your fears, doubts, and worries.
I write not in order to be understood, I write to understand. - C. Day-Lewis
• It’s easier to process your thoughts and feelings in a journal. When you write you bypass the thinking mind which makes it easier to tap into your feelings and unlock your inner self.
"Writing accesses the left hemisphere of the brain, which is analytical and rational... While your left brain is occupied, your right brain is free to do what it does best, i.e. create, intuit and feel.
In this way, writing removes mental blocks and allows us to use more of our brainpower to better understand ourselves and the world around us." - Maud Purcell, a psychotherapist
When you get everything out of your head and on to the page you gain so much clarity and understanding - You'll be amazed at what flows out of the pen!
I don’t journal to ‘be productive.’ I don’t do it to find great ideas or to put down prose I can later publish. The pages aren’t intended for anyone but me. It’s the most cost-effective therapy I’ve ever found. - Tim Ferriss
6. BE MORE CREATIVE
• Journaling is a gateway for creative ideas; it allows for even more awesome ideas to come through - not to mention the muse!
There are countless stories from those who have written books, songs and more where they felt they were a vessel for the information to come through - as if they were almost channeling something.
7. IT'S THE FASTEST (AND EASIEST WAY) TO ACCESS YOUR OWN MIND
• It helps you to bypass the thinking mind and go directly to your subconscious mind.
• Your subconscious is always paying attention - so you can use journaling to prime your brain - which helps you achieve your goals faster!
• Journaling can also help with mindfulness - to help you become fully present in your day to day life.
Once your subconscious mind accepts your goals as commands from your conscious mind, it will start to make all your words and actions fit a pattern consistent with these goals.
Your subconscious mind will start attracting people and circumstances into your life that can help you to achieve your goals. - Brian Tracy
Famous people and historical figures who journaled:
Leonardo Da Vinci, Marcus Aurelius, Marco Polo, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Winston Churchill, Lewis and Clark, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Ernest Hemingway, Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, Sylvia Plath, Anais Nin, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Agatha Christie, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Jack Kerouac, Maya Angelou, and many more ...
Oscar Wilde, the 19th-century playwright, said: “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”
Albert Einstein kept a diary of his travels to the United States - November 1930 to June 1931.
Marie Curie's notebooks are so radioactive that they must be kept in lead-lined boxes. (Photo: Wellcome Trust)
Journaling Ideas
There are many different ways to journal, but here are just a few:
Stream-of-Consciousness: Just start writing and see where it takes you - not only is this fun to do but it's also great if something's bothering you. ( And sometimes, you don’t even know that something's bothering you until you start writing.)
Automatic Writing: This is when you feel called to write, so just grab a pen and let it flow. This is super fun and feels like you're channeling - and you may be.
Many authors talk about writing books this way. Don't judge it, just write.
Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist's Way, has what she calls, "Morning Pages. These are three pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing that you do every morning.
She says "you can write about anything and everything that crosses your mind - provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand."
Journaling Prompts: Use questions to help you ease into writing and get in touch with how you feel. They're a great way to start journaling too!
Be Creative with Visual Journaling: Sketch, doodle, draw, create lists - express yourself creatively!
Memories: Reflect on your life, write down those memories in detail so you can relive those awesome memories again - especially since our memories tend to fade and we change the memory as the years go by.
(Side note: article on memory worth reading: Why you may not be able to trust your own memories. )
Document Events: In case you might want to remember exactly what happened on that certain day or night - grab your journal and document it all.
It’s an invaluable aid when it comes to winning arguments."That’s not what you said on February 3, 1996" I’ll say to someone.— David Sedaris
Spiritual Journals - The Woo side of Journaling
Spiritual Journals or Devotional Journals: This can be a form of prayer, insights, dreams, etc.
You can use this type of journal in a meditative prayer state or if you're summoned to write something from guides, angels, etc. (which is also like automatic writing )
Gratitude Journal: Raise your vibration and begin attracting more positive energy to you with the journal habit of gratitude. There are many benefits to using a gratitude journal!
Meditation: Use before, during, or after meditation.
You can record your experiences, thoughts, and any other new ideas that come up - not to mention messages! This is the best way to connect with Source, your guides, and angels so definitely have a journal nearby.
Journaling is a key to your mind and a doorway to your soul. - Denise Beaulieu
Dream Journals: Keep a journal by your bedside and venture into your subconscious! 
Manifesting Journal: Since your subconscious is always paying attention, you can use journaling to help you manifest.
- Write out your goals and dreams - begin to feel into them as if they're already happening - this raises your vibration and begins to align you with your dream - bringing it closer to you!
- Track your manifestations. What happened, what you did, etc. and see if you can find a pattern.
Journaling helps you ALIGN WITH SUCCESS and amplify your result to
10x your Manifesting Power!
Shift Journals: This is where you shift any negative beliefs and thoughts to the positive.
When you're aware of a disempowering thought or feeling you can override it by writing and aligning with an empowering thought instead.
Doing this helps you become aware of these negative thoughts. When they pop up you can do a kind of "mental change-up" and interrupt it with a new empowering belief.
Mindfulness Journaling: Here you can bring yourself fully into the present by writing about what you're thinking and feeling in the moment. The trick is just let yourself write without judging what you're writing.
How to Start Journaling
1. Find a journal or notebook that you really like. (This is important.)
2. Find a pen you love writing with. You can even have different colored pens near your journal, like me!
3. Decide what type of journaling you'd like to try and then just begin. There's not wrong way to journal!
4. Pick a time that you think will work best for you to journal. Morning is great for starting your day off right and in high-vibes, but the evening can help you process your day and set you up for tomorrow.
5. Find a good-vibe place to journal - pick an inviting space where you can relax and really let yourself go.
6. No editing yourself - be open and allow yourself to write or doodle whatever you feel like that day. Let your mind take you on a journey - that’s when it's really fun!
7. Review your Journal weekly or monthly. It's best to check back in and see what you were thinking or having a hard time with. You can then compare it to what happend and begin to understand how you think and feel which will help you to become more present.
(You may surprise yourself too with new insights and hunches!)
And studies show that using a pen and journal is the best way to bypass the thinking mind!
I find that most of my patients intuitively know that hand-writing their thoughts in a journal is more effective than composing them on a laptop. - Maud Purcell
We tend to edit as we type, which is not great for journaling as Tara-Nicholle Nelson explains:
"Your brain does not work in flow mode and edit mode at the same time, so if you’re trying to make the writing good or to edit it as you put it on the page, you will be pinching off the flow at the same time."
Journaling Tips
- Don’t worry about spelling and punctuation - just write!
- Use pen and paper - let your heart speak to you.
- Always try some free writing and see where it takes you.
- Create a ritual - light a candle, incense, and have a favorite journal.
- Journal in the morning when it's quiet and the energy of the day has yet to set in or before bed and let everything from the day pour into the journal.
- Start with a meditation or prayer to get centered and connected.
- Relax into journaling - let it show you the way.
- Use a special pen that you love writing with.
- Think of journaling as a form of meditation.
- Keep your journal where you can see it - get used to picking it up and jotting things down.
- Journal for success - it helps you access Universal energies.
- Enjoy it - there are no rules - do whatever makes it fun for you!
Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery
Prompts are great for getting you started!
Self-Discovery Journal Prompts for Success and Business
" Writing in a journal each day, with a structured, strategic process allows you to direct your focus to what you did accomplish, what you’re grateful for, and what you’re committed to doing better tomorrow.
Thus, you more deeply enjoy your journey each day, feel good about any forward progress you made, and use a heightened level of clarity to accelerate your results." - Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning
More Journaling Ideas:
Personal Journal - morning downloads for how you're thinking
Inspirational Journal - ideas and quotes that inspire you
Success or Goal Journal
Project Journal - to help you get organized
Idea Journal - keep all those ideas in one place
Habit Journal - if want to track your habits
Manifestation Journal - write out all your dreams in present tense
Prayer Journal - document messages from spirit and prayers you love
Mindfulness Journal - become more aware of how you think and feel
Dream Journal - record all those dreams and see patterns
Shift Journal - change negative thoughts to positive
Art or Sketch Journal
Travel Journal - favorite places and memories
Food Journal
Garden or Nature Journal
As you can see, you can pretty much journal on anything and everything these days!
And if you like to find your inspired ideas and notes fast then grab a notebook with a custom index! Click here to see the Collection.
Studies on Journaling:
• The power of writing down your dreams and goals - Huff Post
• The study on achieving goals from Dr. Gail Matthews
• Why gratitude is so powerful: The grateful brain - the neuroscience of giving thanks
• Positive Psychology: The 83 Benefits of Journaling for depression, anxiety, and stress
• From Scientific American: Writing Can Help Injuries Heal Faster
