How to Build a Powerful Journal Writing Habit

Updated August 2022 — In my previous blog posts, I focused on survival in, How to Survive Swimming in Strange Water and dreams in, Will You Mow the Lawn to Follow Your Dream. As I continue to focus on making new plans, I thought it would be good to focus on building a powerful journal writing habit. As someone who has experienced my fair share of change, journal writing is one of the critical tools I use to reflect on the present and plan for the future.  

Journal about the life you want

I created the life I wanted by journaling.

Initially, I started by writing about my feelings. Then, writing about how my day went – the good, the bad, and the ugly — came easy. Soon I journaled about life’s disappointments. Looking back, I remember how I used journaling to make new plans, become a blogger, and start a business.

Journaling helped me capture my ideas and follow my dreams.

While sharing my journal writing experience with a young lady, I saw the disappointment in her eyes. Not because of my knowledge. She shared how she has never been able to make journal writing a regular part of her life.

But this wasn’t the first time I heard this. I hear countless stories from people about how they tried journaling but couldn’t keep it going for a few weeks.

Trust me, if I could build a journal writing habit, you can too.

So what steps do I take to keep my journal writing habit going? For today’s post, I outline five steps I used to build a powerful journal writing habit.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.

Journal writing offers many benefits

No matter what happens, any time is an excellent time to build a journal writing habit. Some of the benefits of journal writing include:

• Writing therapy to deal with conflicts
• Stress reliever
• Help maintain and improve relationships
• Opportunity for reflection
• Records new ideas
• Gratitude

Studies show that journaling for 15 to 20 minutes daily, three to five days a week, can improve mental and physical health.

Five tips on  how to build a journal writing habit

Although I understand the benefits of journal writing today, I didn’t always feel this way. My transformation involved lots of research. The tips I offer here highlight what I learned over time.

#1. Commit to making small changes

When I decided to get serious about my journal writing habit, I went to a habit expert: James Clear.

In his book Atomic Habits, Clear believes habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Making a 1 percent improvement every day will add up in the end. My gains came over time with me, starting with writing one sentence in my journal. Over time, I wrote two sentences, then three, until I reached 15 minutes of writing.

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.”
James Clear

Here’s a list of the other books I read to help me build my journal writing habit:

• One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer
• Effortless Journaling: How to Start a Journal, Make It a Habit, and Find Endless Writing Topics (Develop Good Habits) by S.J. Scott (Author), Barrie Davenport (Author)
• Heal Your Self With Journaling Power by Mari L. McCarthy

#2. Use habit stacking

To build a journal writing habit, Clear recommends habit stacking, where you pair a current habit with a new habit. This technique allows you to match your new habit with your already-formed habits. For example, previously, I tried to tie my new habits with certain times of the day, like mornings.

But this approach allowed me to connect journal writing with a habit I was already doing, drinking tea while writing.

#3. Redesign your environment

Habit-building experts believe in the power of visual cues. The idea is to use cues to remember to perform a habit. I have to agree. I put my journal in the same bag as my laptop for my journal writing routine. When I sit down to write, I have all my tools – a journal, a writing notebook, my pens, and my laptop. Here are a few ideas to help you use cues:

• If you want to remember to write in your journal before you go to bed, put your journal next to your bed on the nightstand.
• When you want to write in your gratitude journal before going to the gym, put your journal in your bag.
• For your faith journaling habit, put your journal with your Study Bible and notebook.

#4. Take steps to make procrastination hard

Next, I confronted the unwanted behaviors that prevented me from sticking to my journal writing habit. First, I made a list of everything that prevented me from writing in my journal. Then, I selected one thing to change until I dealt with everything on the list. For example, checking social media in the morning prevented me from writing in my gratitude journal. So I put my smartphone in another room before I went to bed.

#5. Keep track of your progress

As your journal writing habit becomes more consistent, consider rewarding yourself. Positive reinforcement is critical in helping us automate our habits. Use a habit tracker to keep track of your progress.

Reward yourself whenever you complete a journal writing session or finish a week of journal writing.

It doesn’t have to be the same thing every time or anything costly. The point is to connect your accomplishment and the satisfaction that comes with it. Consider buying new supplies for your journal writing practice.

Keep your thoughts and dreams organized

“Keep a notebook. Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it. Slap into it every stray thought that flutters up into your brain. Cheap paper is less perishable than gray matter, and lead pencil markings endure longer than memory.” Jack London

There are several different types of journals:

• Writing journal
• Dream journal
• Travel journal
• Idea journal
• Food journal
• Gratitude journal

Which journal is right for you? Here are a few of my favorite journals.

Whether you pick a regular notebook or a customized journal, the key is to get started building your journal writing habit.

Instead of wondering how long you can keep going this time, imagine yourself writing every day in the future.

You should feel proud of your decision to build a journal writing habit.

Your new journal writing habit might help you write the best chapter of your life.

If you need help, please get support. There are apps available, like the Bearable app, which allows you to log your moods, symptoms, medications, and much more.

Talk to a therapist. Connect with your support systems like your spouse, family members, or friends. Contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at +1 (800) 950-6264.

ABOUT THIS POST:  Thank you for reading this post. This information is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment, medication, or therapy. Always seek your doctor’s advice or a qualified mental health provider with questions about mental health symptoms or medical conditions. Do not disregard professional psychological or medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice or treatment because of this post.