Choosing and Decorating Your Journal
Choose a journal. There are plenty of options available for you to choose from, including: Composition journal Artist sketchpad or drawing book Scrapbook with blank pages Plain academic journal Diary
Plain book with lines Choose a journal that you like! There are plenty of affordable options for journals, but you can also splurge and find a good quality journal that will last for years.
Choose a writing utensil. Finding the right writing utensil for your journal doesn’t have to mean picking up the closest pen nearby. You may decide to dedicate a pen or pencil to writing in your journal. You can attach it to your journal with a ribbon or tie so you always have it on hand. If you choose a pen, make sure the ink does not bleed onto the next page. Use colored pens or pencils to color code your journal. For example, use a red pen to write down quotes and use a blue pen to record your dreams.
Decorate your journal. You can be as creative as you’d like with your journal! Decorate the front, back, inside cover, or certain pages of your journal. Collect craft supplies like glitter, ribbon, stickers, stamps, glue, tape, colored pencils and pens, and embellishments. Choose whatever supplies you’d like to use to decorate your journal and spend time decorating however you’d like. Print out pictures of your friends and family to glue to your journal. You can also print out pictures that you like from the Internet to make a picture collage. You don’t have to decorate your journal if you like how your journal looks plain.
Make journal sections. You can either use your inspiration journal to write whatever comes to mind, or you can divide your journal into sections that you’d like to fill. Some suggestions for sections are: Goals Dreams Hopes Writing and Poetry Things that inspire you Memories Stories Song lyrics Quotes Space for writing prompts Space for writing exercises Use the first page of your journal to create an index if you want to keep different sections organized. You can attach adhesive tabs or small pieces of colored paper to divide your pages into sections.
Filling Your Journal
Look for inspiration. If you decided to make sections for your journal, you can begin to look for inspirational things to fill them with. If you have a quotes section, look for inspirational quotes from people that you admire or respect. You can search for "inspirational quotes" on the Internet to find lists of quotes that others enjoy. Keep your journal by your bedside so you can write down your dreams each morning. Writing down your dreams right after you wake up is the best way to remember details. Listen to your favorite songs or artists and write down lyrics that you enjoy. Reread your favorite poems and books to find quotes that inspire you. Make a list of things that make you happy and make you smile. This can be a writing exercise when you're feeling sad or down. Think of ten things that made you smile in the last week.
Commit to a writing schedule. Making a writing schedule can encourage you to write more frequently. You can choose to not make a writing schedule, but you may be more likely to forget about journaling if you don’t. Decide how frequently you want to write. You can decide to write every day, every other day, every week, or whatever time frame works for you. If you decide to use your journal to write out your goals, use the journal as a way to measure your progress. List the steps that you need to take to succeed at the goal and reference this list as you progress through the steps. This can help you to stay goal-oriented and to be aware of how close you are to reaching your goal.
Bring your journal with you. Bring your journal in your bag whenever possible so you can write in it whenever inspiration strikes. Some people find it helpful to carry a smaller version of their inspiration journal with them in their pocket or jacket to jot down thoughts throughout the day. Bring your journal with you to events. If you go to a seminar, a community event, a meeting or to see a speaker, bring your journal with you. Use the journal as a way to write down key points of the event that you want to remember, or write down any thoughts that you have while you’re listening along.
Try different writing exercises. Writing exercises can help you feel more comfortable writing in your journal and can help you to think carefully about things you like. Make a list of 50 things that make you smile Write down 10 dreams that you have for your future Write down 5 of your happiest memories Make a list of 10 people who inspire you, and why they inspire you Write a short story in your journal of something that you succeeded at, and write in detail all the steps you took in order to complete your mission. Write any feelings about the achievement, ask how other people felt about your achievement and write your memories about the event.
Pick journal prompts. If you aren’t sure what you want to write about, find different journal and writing prompts to spark your creativity. Journal prompts are a great way to think more deeply about things that inspire you and to spark new ideas. Pick a quote that you’ve been inspired about. Use the quote as a prompt to write a short story or reflect on how the quote makes you feel. Ask yourself “what if” questions, like what if I started my dream job tomorrow or what if I suddenly knew how to fly. Commit to trying a new journal prompt each week and incorporate it into your writing schedule.
Reread your journal. As you're working on filling your journal, or after you have finished your journal, read what you've written. Take this as an opportunity to reflect upon thoughts that you had, quotes you liked, and dreams that you had. Rereading your journal can be a great way to reflect upon the progress that you've made over time in your life or in your goals. Use your journal to feel inspired whenever you're feeling down or if you need some encouragement.
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