5 Themes For Your Journal

Hi family!

I hope all is well. 

I've been getting some feedback from you all regarding your new journals.

Many of you love your items, but haven't found an answer to the million-dollar question now that you've gotten them:

What am I gonna write in my journal???

No worries! I've been here before myself. And that's why today, I'm going to give you five themes you can focus on in your journal.

Your journal doesn't have to be all of these themes combined. It can be whichever one you pick for yourself.

The goal is to have a core purpose for your journal so that you know what you're going to write every time you open it up.

Let's dive in!

1. Daily Chronicle

Reflect on your day. 

A daily chronicle is a reflection of how your day was and all of what you did. This is a great start for anyone who wants to cultivate their writing style and practice self-awareness.

You can write your daily chronicle at the end of the day, or during the interim when you're taking breaks from work and have some down time. 

The key to making your chronicles effective is to have detail, detail, detail in your entries. 

Don't just rundown your day saying you woke up, went to class, had lunch, came home, watched a movie, chilled, then did homework. That's bland and boring. 

Instead, try to write about your day as if you're telling a story about your life that your children or grandchildren will read one day.

Be as descriptive as you can with everything that happened to you. Talk about how you felt at different points during the day, the people you talked to, the music you listened to. Include as much as you can to make your chronicle more interesting. 

Over time, after consistent writing, your daily chronicles will yield you great insight into your daily patterns and what you should change to improve your life.

2. Creative Writing

Express your creative side. 

Poetry, songs, short-stories, or speeches are great for a journal! Any type of creative writing you want to endeavor, test it in your journal first.

Do you have a couple stanzas for a poem you want to start? Draft them in your journal. 

An idea for a character you want to include in a novel you're working on? Draft a profile of them in your journal.

Use your journals to find your creative voice. Be bold in your writing, and don't self-edit. Let the true, authentic you come out as you find and express your creativity. 

3. Goals/To-Do List

Plan your dreams and goals. 

This one especially applies to all of my entrepreneurs, career professionals, or all-around hustlers.

We must have a journal to keep track of our goals and daily tasks that we set to accomplish. 

In the words of Jim Rohn: "our minds are great for generating good ideas, not retaining them."

How many of us have forgotten to do that one important thing we were supposed to do this week because it "slipped" out of our minds? 

We still might have gotten that task done if what had "slipped" out of our minds had been written down on paper so we could catch it. 

Having a journal for your goals and to-do lists keeps you both accountable and organized. It will even help you map out your short-term and long-term objectives. 

And yes, there are apps in the 21st century that help organize your to-do list and goals for you. I even use a few of them myself.

But technology doesn't hit the same as being able to cross out an item on your to-do list that you physically wrote down. Some things just can't beat pen and paper.  

4. Affirmations 

Write something positive about yourself. 

This habit will help you fight off depression, develop more self-confidence, and teach you that no matter how bad life gets, there's still some good that can be found if you're willing to look for it. 

Use your journal for positive affirmations. If you're having a bad day, you can retreat to your journal for positive energy to keep your head up.

As a matter of fact, here's a 30-day practice you can start right now. Every morning when you wake up, take five or more minutes to write at least 5 Positive Things you have in your life.

They could be your personal strengths, things you're grateful for, or affirmations to manifest the qualities you wish to have. Here's an example...

 

Practice writing this for 30 days, and I guarantee you will see a positive change in your life.

5. Thoughts & Feelings

Talk about something that's been on your mind for a while

Have you ever felt the need to vent, but there was no one to talk to? Or maybe there was someone who could listen, but wouldn't understand you? 

When you feel the need to let go and get something out of your mind, your journal is the friend that you're looking for.

Journals are great for helping you get things off your chest that you aren't able to say out loud, otherwise.

If something happened in the family and you can't speak on it, write about it in your journal.

If you have an opinion about a political or social topic, explain your case on paper.

Writing your thoughts and feelings on paper will give you a cathartic release.

Not only will you feel better getting those subjects off your chest, but they will help your mind become more rational and sharpen your thinking. 

Conclusion

We hope these themes will help you on your writing journey. If you have some tips of your own as to what you can write in your journal, comment them down below. We'd love your feedback.

As a bonus, we created this list below that pairs each theme we listed above with the appropriate journal collection that is best for the task.

Daily Chronicle - Ruled Journal

Creative Writing - Matte Journal

Goals/To-Do List - Spiral Journal

Affirmations/Meditations - Matte Journal

Thoughts & Feelings - Ruled Journal

 

Take care family!

Grow. Inspire. Create.