I have thought that countless times. Again and again I get randomly inspired, and I decide to start a journal. I find a notebook (sometimes blank, sometimes half-used), and I start to write. "I'll write in it EVERY day!" I think, and for the first two or three days, I actually do. After a while, though, I become a little bored with the idea, and I write only every couple of days. I lose focus and motivation. Eventually, the journal ends up collecting dust on my bookshelf. (Now you know where I get all of my half-used notebooks.)
Have you ever had that happen? You start a journal, promising to write in it every day, but you quickly just give up? I've been there. Well then, how do you start a journal that you'll use consistently instead of just tiring of it? How do you actually keep a journal??
Here are some different types of journals that might help you to stick with it instead of giving up on it. Try your favorite idea to see if it works for you. If it doesn't, try a different one! Writing in a journal can relax you, improve your relationship with God, inspire you, and remind of wonderful memories. So why not give it a host with one of these ideas? ☺☺☺
~Keep a thankfulness journal. My thankfulness journal works very simply: every night before bed, I write the date and one thing I'm thankful for. Often it's something that happened that day, such as spending time with a friend or a good test grade. Sometimes it's something more broad, like a person, one of God's character traits, or something He has blessed me with. Some nights this leads to a couple pages worth of story or explanation. If I have a lot of time, I like to write about more than just that one thankfulness thing; I'll record other experiences of the day or upcoming events. In a time crunch (or if I just don't feel like writing very much), I only write a short sentence or two. This makes it easy to write every day without feeling pressured to make your entry an impressive length.
~Keep a once-a-week journal. If you would like to keep a journal, but you don't have a enough time to write every day, this is the journal for you. Simply find a time to use every week as your own person writing time. Maybe Saturdays from 7:30-8:00 would work well, or you could make it only ten to fifteen minutes long it you don't have enough time. The key to this journal is to actually write during the designated time. If you don't make it happen consistently, it will easily just fall by the wayside, but if you really do write then, it could even become one of your favorite parts of the week! Another way you could do this journal is to write a once a month. That way it takes even less time our of your schedule while still allowing you a great writing experience.
~Keep a doodling journal. Don't like to write? Try doodling your experiences instead of writing. Even if you're not good at drawing, but it relaxes you, this is a great option. You can sketch something that happened, something you saw, or something that fits your mood. Use your favorite pencils, pens, or even scrap-booking supplies. Another way you could do this is with pictures. It's worth a thousand words after all! ☺
~ Keep a prayer journal. There are many ways to do this. The easiest is to simply write down your prayer requests in a notebook. Some fun ways to add to this include recording the date God answers your prayers, adding Bible verses related to your requests, and keeping church bulletins/small group notes that list other people's prayer requests in your notebook. Prayer journals can help you organize your thoughts, focus during a quiet time, and remember prayer requests that other people give you. Though you may not think of this as very much of a journal, it actually does a good job of recording what's on your heart and mind, especially if you write out your prayers instead of just the prayer requests. I usually do some of each, depending on what I'm praying about and how much time I have. For tutorials on how to start a prayer journal, check out our Pinterest page!
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Do you keep a journal? If so, how? We'd love to hear from you. Comment below!
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