Journaling for Beginners; as a beginner, the one issue you might encounter is confusion about what to write and where. While there are no rules you need to follow regarding having a journal, some people find it easier to be dedicated to it when they have layouts and templates that allow for better organization.
Separate it Into Sections
If you want it to be a little more organized, the first step to setting up your journal is to separate it into sections. Most journals include a notebook with a certain number of pages but don’t have any dividers. If this type of journal you use, you will need to create this organization independently.
You might want to start by making a list of what you plan to journal about so that you can see if any specific categories jump out at you. For example, if you want to use the journal for what you are thinking about daily, expressing gratitude, and working on your personal goals, then you know you need at least three different sections for the journal. Others might have more or less, depending on your personal preferences.
Add an Index and Page Numbers
While this is more commonly done in bullet journals, there is no reason you can’t do it with your regular journal! You often don’t know how many directions your journal will take, and before long, you get your thoughts and ideas jumbled on different pages. Looking for a specific page can take a long time and get frustrating. This is why page numbers and using an index are handy.
Start numbering all your pages, then note what that specific entry was about; you can add the subject or topic to the index at the beginning of your journal with the page number, making it easy to reference later.
Consider Printable Pages
Another way to set up your journal and organize the pages is to use printable pages. These can be those you put in different sections of your current journal or by having a journal in binder form, making it easy to print anything you want and to move pages around as needed.
Many printables, both free and for a fee, offer templates and prompts for your journal. These are linked pages with specific topics, daily journal pages where you input how your day was, mood trackers, health pages, and so many more.
Journaling Templates and Prompts
If you want to get better at journaling and improve your skills with this type of activity, one way to do that is with templates and prompts. Writing prompts are great because they give you a topic to write about, avoiding the frustration of staring at a blank page. With templates, you can create them yourself or print ones you have already done, providing more ways to fill a journal without overthinking it.
Start with Simple Writing Prompts
Writing prompts offer statements or questions that give you a topic to write. In addition, you can have paper starts for general writing topics everyone can use.
These benefits are that you don’t have to wonder what to write. Some people struggle with journaling more often because they aren’t sure what to journal—writing prompts are a great way to get started if this sounds like you.
Use Printable Journaling Templates
Journaling templates typically are one page in size and offer a few different sections you can fill out. Some are daily journaling templates where you fill out the information about each day, like the weather, what you ate, how much water you drank, if you took your vitamins, your mood, how your day was, and other information. You can find printable templates you can use and fill out during your daily journal writing, or you can make your own based on templates you find.
Create Your Templates
It is straightforward to do if you want to create your own. Start by figuring out what you want to include in each journal entry. For example, you might track your moods or specific conditions like anxiety or depression. Maybe you are working on your health, following your food and exercise, or want different daily sections and prompts.
Once you figure out the information on each template, you can draw and write them out by hand in your journal. You can use these templates daily, but others can change, such as if you want to use journaling prompts. Leave some boxes blank in case some days you want to add a little something different, just as your daily affirmation or a little tidbit about your day that might be different from other days.
Here is an overview of how to start your very own journal. It’s just the basics to get you started; if you want to learn more, why not check out this article on Journaling for Self-Care to help you jump-start on getting ready for the stressful holiday season?