I have been daily journaling for a month now and this is how I’m finding it so far!

First thing, although I’m calling it daily journaling the truth is I am not managing to do it every day.  I write most days, I have only missed one or two.  For my track record I think it’s pretty good!  I am actually surprised how easily I find something to write about each day.

At the moment we are still in quite a strict state of lockdown so exciting things are not happening on a daily basis!  Not that they really did before!  But, although I am perhaps not doing different activities every day, I continue to think.  These thoughts go in my book.  There is also plenty to think about.  This week in particular has been tough for us all for a number of reasons and tough for me for some personal ones.  My journal, or “my book” as I am calling it, is helping.  I have somewhere to record facts but also my reactions to them.

Within the luxury of lockdown and not needing to get up for work at 5am I write “my book” in the morning over breakfast.  Usually I reflect on the previous day and how I’m feeling about the day to come.  For me it is peaceful and grounding to do first thing, a kind of morning meditation.  If I was in my usual schedule of work I wouldn’t be able to write in the morning so already it feels like a treat!  Being thankful for the things I otherwise wouldn’t be able to do is part of my strategy for keeping my negative emotions in check.

Keeping Things Fresh When Daily Journaling for a Month

As well as writing “my book” I have been adding a little colour to my pages with some paint or coloured tape.  I am a visual person and the bright colours entice me to write when I am not feeling the urge.  A little splash of paint also stops an empty page from looking so scary!  I find it easy to fill around a page a day but when it’s a little short adding a sticker or a picture completes the entry.

I also like to mix up the layout.  Playing with where and how I date my entries keeps the page interesting.  Sometimes I write in a couple of columns, or around a picture or photograph.  I have seen examples of some very beautiful journals but I don’t want how it looks to distract me from why I’m doing it.

Things I want to try

In the coming month there are a few things I would like to try out in “my book”.

I have been used to keeping a bullet journal so I am wondering if I can incorporate a little functionality into my daily journal.  Unsure if I will like to mix my personal thoughts with functional lists.  Perhaps a little habit tracking or structured daily reflection would work well.

On a similar theme to bullet journalling, I have been looking into some goal setting.  There is so much I want to improve on, both personally and in my small business.  If I can find a nice way to record my progress towards certain outcomes my journal might be an encouraging way to push myself.

I would also love to add more photos.  I enjoy photography, as you can see in my Instagram, and would like to incorporate it into my daily journal.  A book with pictures is always better, right?!

How Are You Getting On?

If you have been trying alongside me and have now also been daily journaling for a month I’d love to know how you’re getting on?  What inspires you to write every day?  Is it getting easier or are you losing the will?!  There’s no correct way to do it, so you can’t fail!  Give it a go and tell me your story in the comments.

If you’d like to go back to the beginning of my journey you can start here and you can find a few other articles about my experience with writing in my blog.