Tools, tips and information to create a miracle morning.
It may sound clichéd, but writing consistently in a journal can help you re-discover a purpose and significance for your life.
Journaling is one of the greatest tool in finding your purpose, healing yourself, and creating the life you most desire. It is a way of coaching yourself through your “stuff” and letting it out on the page, unclogging your mind from years of destructive thoughts. In doing so, begin to see life with unsurpassed clarity.
Benefits of Journaling
Journaling changes your life for the better:
- Journaling gives you private, non-judgmental space to process your thoughts and emotions.
- Journaling increases self awareness
- Journaling pushes you to actively inspect your life
- Journaling strengthsn your sense of self
- Writing about your feelings can improve your interactions and relationships with others
- Journaling is a powerful tool to help you reach your goals
- Journaling improves your memory
- Journaling helps heal the past
[mailerlite_form form_id=37]
Types of Journals
Mindbody Network compiled a comprehensive list of types of journals and their uses. The possibilities are endless:
- Prayer
- Good thoughts
- Books/movies
- Couples
- Birthdays
- Sports
- Recipes
- Health
- Finance
- Hobby
- Focus
- Group/family
- Personal Development
- Dreams
- Meditation
- Exercise
And, the list goes on and on.
There are infinite aspects of your life that you can write about, and countless types of journals. Gratitude journals, workout journals, dream journals, etc. You can write about your family, goals, dreams, plans, lessons learned, experiences and anything else you may need or want to focus on in life.
Journaling Ideas
- Write a favorite inspirational quotes
- Use journaling prompts (see below)
- Celebrate an accomplishment from the day (or week)
- Describe a specific event
- Describe your day (or week)
- Express gratitude (post link)
- Describe a challenge you’re facing
- Reflect on feelings associated with a moment or event
- Reflect on what (if anything) is holding you back from living your best life
- Recall your dreams
- Describe a “first” experience (date, buying a home, job, etc.)
- Document current events
- Keep a travel journal
- Describe how you’re living your best life
- Write positive affirmations
- Create random lists (favorite movies, books, foods, etc.)
- Brainstorm an idea
- List the things you are passionate about
- Write about the things that make you happy right now
- Write about something that made you laugh today (or this week)
- Reflect ways you practiced self care today (this week) and how it made you feel
- Describe accomplishing a milestone (marriage, graduation, learning to drive, etc.)
[January] Journaling Prompts
- What is one thing I can do every day to take good care of my body?
- What can I do to create more energy in my life?
- What do I want to START doing (what habit do I want to create)?
- What fitness goal could I set for myself this month?
- What does my body need right now?
- What is your best memory of last year?
- Tomorrow I will ____________
- What is your dream job?
- What ignites your spirit and makes your heart sing?
- If time froze for everyone, but me, what would I do with it?
Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, describes keystone habits as, “small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.”
I challenge you to journal regularly for a year, to make journaling a habit. That doesn’t mean you have to write every single day. Maybe begin with regularly journaling once or twice a week.
Looking for more inspiration and guidance to start journaling?
Start Where You Are: A Journal for Exploration
Want to know more about creating a Miracle Morning?
Start Your Day With a Miracle Morning
Beautiful Affirmations For Your Miracle Morning
[mailerlite_form form_id=37]
I love journaling but i suck at it, hope to change that this year. Love the prompts!
I used to journal all the time growing up. I would write down my everyday thoughts, I need to start doing that again.
I used to journal all the time, but just don’t have the time anymore. It was what got me into writing and made me realize how good I was at it. Now I spend my time writing novels and blog post.
I would love to start journaling this year. I think it would be a great way to reflect!
I love to keep a journal and have done since I was a child. It’s so nice to just be able to write your feelings, thoughts and days down. It’s like a mini release x
I used to keep a diary as a child but journaling as an adult feels a bit odd. I don’t doubt that it’s very therapeutic but it just feels a bit self indulgent to me.
I’ve never tried journaling but I love the power of a handwritten list. Feels so much better crossing things off, makes me feel much more accomplished.
Maybe I should give journalling a try…
Katie xoxo
I love journaling because it helps me with reflection and direction. I also like it because it shifts my focus to what I have accomplished and the goals I have set.
Yet another inspirational blog post. I have written in diaries in the past, but the way you describe about journaling goes way beyond that. I never really thought about how it could help my future goals. Your post has inspired me to work on keystone habits and to journal!
Great Tips! I would really like to start an accomplishment journal! Some time at the end of the year I felt like I didn’t do to much! But deep inside I know I made lots of stuff, and a journal would be a gerat reminder!
I have soo many spare notebooks that I really want to use as journals. Using one as a dream diary is my current goal!
Journalling sounds like a great idea for helping to make decisions and working through emotions
I used to journal but got out of the habit. There are some nice ideas here, third up from the bottom ‘made me laugh’, this would be a nice one to reflect on on dull days
I don’t specifically journal, but I do try and write a few words of positivity every day and it does help my mood. Great post!
Keeping a travel journal sounds great! I’ve never kept a journal before. Even when I was young I never kept one but I think it’s because I just didn’t know what to journal about but I can get on board with a travel one.
I haven’t written in a journal in years but I remember really enjoying it. I like all of your tips for writing in a journal and all the topics you could write about. I might have to bring it back in 2018!
xo, Laura
I started journaling every day last year and love it. It’s a great way for me to get my ideas together and out!
April
I have never done journaling but your post is a great inspiration to start.
I love your journaling ideas and prompts. I tend to write about the same types of things– but am going to try to add variety based on your lists. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for outlining all the benefits of journaling. I recommend it in my nutrition programs and this really helps!
I’ve journaled since I was 12, so that is a long long time. I find it helps me get my thoughts together, and when I reread myself, as I tend to do, weeks or years afterward, I can easily see patterns. If these are positive patterns, i remember to do those things more often, if not, then i look to change things.
I’ve been thinking of doing a yearly journal for 2018 actually. This post really helped me to organize my thoughts and start doing what I should! haha
I love writing but sometimes don’t feel inspired to write about anything specific. Your January journal prompts are fantastic. So glad I read this! 🙂
I absolutely love that yiu are encouraging people to journal! I’ve kept a diary since I was in second grade and absolutely love it! ( I’m 43)
I love these prompts. I buy so many beautiful journals and then I’m afraid to ruin them by actually writing in them! Maybe 2018 will be the year I actually start journaling!
Well documented with helpful pointers. This will work well as a guide to all new comers in this field.
I used to journal all the time – i don’t know why I stopped. I really need to get back into it!
When I was younger, I had a journal and tried to write in it every night. I now love going back and reading what I was thinking or going through during my past. Now, I don’t have a journal that I keep daily. But I do have a travel journal. Whenever I go on a big trip, I bring my travel journal. I document what I do each day and what place I’m visiting. I also love going back and reading those entries. Definitely brings back some great memories!
I know when I first started journaling I needed help coming up with ideas. This has so many great ideas to offer!
Such great tips and I love all the journal options. Maybe I should pick one each year to mix things up and focus on different areas.
Thank you for sharing this.
So many great journal ideas here! One of the things I was saddest about losing in my apartment fire a few years ago was a travel journal from when I took a 3 week trip to Europe at 16. It was always so fun to re-read those memories!
I’ve just recently started journalling and I like it! I haven’t been doing it as frequently because I always equate journalling with long entries. However, I learned that even small entries, bullet point, or a couple sentences, can be just as beneficial!
Starting to journal more this year is one of my goals. I am not setting a specific amount or time, but just whenever the mood strikes. I love having prompts for the days I am at a loss though, thanks for these!
I have never really tried journaling but I could!
I love to write in my journal. It’s a life-saver for pent up feelings, self-affirmations, and terrific self-motivator once you get going. You’ve given more even more ideas to journal about!
Love your January prompts! Especially #7. I am a huge journaller so I don’t tend to need prompts but I am looking for my structure in how I journal!
I do not journal but I have taken time every night to jot down what I appreciated for the day or what made me happy/smile. I am logging my daily water as that’s nice to keep me going and see how far I have come but maybe I’ll add my fitness. Just even weights and reps would be nice to see the progress. I like your prompts. I like the dream job. These prompts would help a person focus and make their wishes a reality.