What to Write in Your Journal When You Don’t Know Where to Start

Why I Love Journaling

Journaling is probably one of my favorite things to do when the sun finally goes down and it just me in my bed surrounded by my favorite stuffed animals and comfiest blankets. As a writer, journaling has given me the opportunity to find so much clarity in my life and I really want to share how much of a difference it can make in your life.

The awesome thing about your journal is that it is yours. It can be as neat or messy as you want it to be. Journaling gives me a sense of self-control that often times I crave. When I was little girl my dad use to tell me, “control the things you can control.” If you are christian, you know that translates into “Worry about nothing, pray about everything.” But honestly it is so true.

If journaling does intimidate you and feel like work, try making the experience more personal. For me, I will put on soft worship music in the background, light some of my favorite candles from Bath & Body Works, and just enjoying being in that space. My journal happens to be in the form of letters to God. In a way, they almost represent written prayers. Nevertheless if you flip through the pages you will see an abundance of random quotes I fell in love with and goals I set for myself. I am pretty sure that my senior year school schedule is in there too.

Whether we like it or not, we have to find ways to be able to cope with the things that happen in our life–the good, the bad, and the ugly. Journaling offers a safe way to really help clear up those extreme emotions and help us understand the big picture.

So if you are thinking about starting a journal or sprucing up a journal you already have and need help with what to write, keep reading the following list for ideas. Also, check out the free “Weekly Journal Idea Guide” at the bottom of this post! Screenshot and keep it in your phone to hold yourself accountable!

1. Your Feelings and Emotions

A lot of the time when we are in extreme situations that cause us to react with extreme emotions  it can be so so so easy to go to our friends and significant others for an explanation. You could get a brand new job or your bf could break up with you for no apparent reason. Journaling has really helped me grow in my faith because since I write in my journal as if I am writing letters to God and it truly helps me put situations in perspective…especially the ones that I find myself trying to find answers for. Although friends and family can be helpful, to be honest, sometimes that isn’t what you need.

I totally understand how it can be hard to wipe away the tears and pick up pen and paper and I am sure there are times that you feel like last person you want to talk to is God. Trust me, I have felt all of that. However, the more I pour out onto the page, the more I felt like I could be honest with God and (probably what I needed most) honest with myself. I see things more clearly. Plus, one of my favorite things to do is look back into my journals and see how far I have come in my walk in faith. It is so rewarding.

2. Short Term and Long Term Goals

I love writing down my short-term and long-term goals in my journal! I typically do monthly goals and yearly goals so I don’t overwhelm myself. I just finished reading “Girl, Wash Your Face,” by Rachel Hollins and she talks about the importance of keeping promises that you make to yourself. In a way, goals are our future promises to ourselves. By writing my goals down in my journal, I feel more accountable to keep those “future promises” to myself. Of course goals and dreams sometimes change however, being able to physically look at your goals right in front of you means that you have taken them one step closer to reality.

3. Take Note of Your Habits

This is something that I was actually inspired by from a bullet journal on Pinterest. Often times people will track their habits in their journal to ensure they are living as healthy as possible. I thought this was such a great idea! From water intake to thhe amount of days you cooked instead of going out that month, being able to track how far you come is one of the most motivating things ever. It is a little motivation to keep going and understand when you need to take a step back or take a step up.

4. Use This As a Way to Talk to God

Like I said before, my journal is currently in letter format. Often times I write when I feel like I am struggling with something or I feel unsure. Some things are more difficult to talk to with your friends and family. Sometimes you don’t want to feel like a bother to other people. But the reality is that as long as those pages are there for me to write on, God will always be there.

That is really how I got comfortable talking to him so often. It started with me writing letters to him. If you struggle with knowing how to talk to God, try writing letters to him. I have been able to work out so much heartbreak and being okay with not understanding why some things happened to me because I just opened my journal and started writing. Now it didn’t just happen over night. I had to stay true to myself and make sure that when I felt like I wanted to cry my eyes out and call my best friend that I would try turning to Him first. Not social media, not my mom, but Him.

5. Affirmations and Positive Reminders

This idea actually came from the journal that I am currently using. At the top right of my lined journal there are random scriptures from the Bible. Sometimes when I open my journal I won’t know what to write. Often times I will get inspired when I read the scripture at the top, especially when I know I haven’t talked to God in a bit. Let’s be real, training yourself to talk to God everyday is a challenge and something that requires intentional practice. So if you are like me and sometimes find yourself reaching blanks, find inspiring affirmations/positive reminders/scriptures to spark something in your heart that you may have been feeling and/or avoiding to feel. Plus, a pretty affirmation on a blank page never hurt anybody.

6. Expressions and Reflections of Gratitude

My sister recently said something about the importance of reflection when it comes to growth. I have been thinking about this a long time and thought it was a perfect thing to add to a personal journal. Writing down what you feel grateful about also really helps put situations in perspective, especially the ones that you are struggling with right now. Being able to see how far you have come and showing gratitude in whatever way you feel appropriate is just going to help you grow even more. After all, that is why we have journals right? To reflect!

So that is all for now blessed, brilliant, beauties. I really hope you liked this blog. I really encourage you to pull out that old journal and start journaling again. Below is a weekly template to get you started. I am praying for your peace of mind this week and always remember that you are blessed, brilliant, and beautiful! 

<3 TD

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