a peek into my journal

gratitude + intentions

When I wanted to get back into journaling last year, I didn’t really know where to begin.  I searched Pinterest for ideas, and thousands of different prompts came up, but I found them completely overwhelming.  I knew if I wanted to stick to my goal of journaling every day I was going to have to find something to write about that appealed to me – meaning it was enjoyable and stress-free.  After lots of trial and error, I discovered that short and quick journal entries were my best friend.  They weren’t terribly time-consuming, which made me a lot less overwhelmed, and – most importantly – I enjoyed it!

So what exactly do I write about?  Every day (usually before bed – but do what works for you!), I make a list of 5 things I’m grateful for and my intentions for the next day.  To get the most out of your gratitude list, try writing down the things you are grateful for from that day; the more specific, the better. (: As for the intentions, I try to keep the list under 10 items.  It’s basically my to-do list for the day, but changing the heading to “intentions” makes it seem less overwhelming, especially on the days where I have quite a bit to do.

If you’re interested, I’ve also tried writing down my big goals in my journal but phrasing them as if I’ve already accomplished them.  This is a pretty popular form of journal writing (Rachel Hollis even sells a journal that’s used for this specific purpose), and it can be really helpful and fun.  I’d definitely suggest giving this a try, especially if you are goal-oriented.  However, be careful to not get too consumed in your dreams for the future because staying present is important too. (:

What I’ve learned from journaling over the past couple years is that it’s most important to just do whatever makes you feel good – as is true with most things in life.  If you are doing what makes YOU happy, then it’s going to affect your life in a positive way – no matter how big or small that action is. (: I hope you enjoyed having a peek into my journal!