1. Set aside time during your day
Some people simply need to get into the habit of journaling. When it’s not on your radar of “to-do” items for the day, then it naturally slips your mind. So, it’s up to you to decide where it fits into your day and to make it a regular part of your schedule. While some enjoy journaling right when they wake up, others prefer doing it before they go to bed. If you’re not finding success with the time you’ve picked, be sure to switch it up. Try another time to see if it works better. It may take some trial and error, but you’ll get there in the end.
2. Don’t use full sentences
When you have a beautiful journal in front of you, you may feel the need to be “perfect” in your writing. Yet, this often feels restrictive, and it leads people to not wanting to journal at all. Try different styles of journaling like disjointed sentences or bullet points. This often makes it more attainable for people to keep up. It’s also easier and less time consuming.
3. Journal with a concentration timer
A concentration timer is a timer that you set for every five minutes. If you’re the kind of person whose mind wanders, you’ll hear the timer and be able to bring yourself back to your writing whenever it sounds.
Longer journaling isn’t always better journaling. If you find that you can jot down meaningful thoughts in a focused 5-10 minutes each day, then there’s no reason to sit and do it for longer than that. Experiment with different lengths of time, and once you feel content with your journaling efforts, let it be! Keep journaling fun, so you can focus on it when it’s the activity in front of you.
Final thoughts
Don’t let your past problems with journaling keep you from being successful in the future. Implement the above strategies to help you stay focused and use a guided journal to help jump-start your writing. You’ve got this!