One of the biggest reasons that people abandon their commitments to journaling is TIME. The journal gets set aside during busy times, times of stress, or times when routines are disrupted, then it’s never picked back up again. Years later, you find your empty notebook with three entries and a ream of blank pages. Sound familiar?
If you’re hoping to someday turn your journaled thoughts and musings into published content, though, this absolutely will not work. In order to make your dream of publishing come true, you have to have material to publish, and the only way to get that through journaling is write regularly over an extended period of time.
The secret is priority. How badly do you want to create that journal content? Are you dedicated to the concept? If so, then read on for some hints about how to make sure you write in your journal nearly every day.
- Put yourself on a schedule. Figure out what time of day is best for you to get creative juices flowing, and then make sure you are in a position to write, undisturbed, for the amount of time you feel best. This might mean locked in your room with notebook and pen, or it might mean in a quiet place with computer and keyboard, or even in a position to dictate your thoughts onto your voice recorder or phone.
- Start small and work your way up. You don’t have to write thousands of words at a time to start being more consistent with your journal. Try setting a minimum time limit instead. Write for at least five minutes at first, then work your way up to writing for fifteen or even thirty minutes.
- Make a date with yourself. Put an appointment into your personal calendar (literally!). I don’t just mean to intend to write and make a mental note; I mean actually pick a time and put an appointment into your personal calendar just like you would for a lunch engagement or a doctor visit. Write it down. If you’re using a digital calendar, make it a repeating appointment. This way, you won’t accidentally schedule yourself out of your journaling time.
- Save time in other areas and use it for journaling. If you’re like most of us, you have some room for improvement in the efficiency department, especially in routine tasks such as house or yard work. Look for ways to get more done in less time, and you will free up time to write in your journal.
- Add a few moments to your day by rising a bit earlier or going to bed a bit later. Myself, I do best early in the morning, but that’s completely up to you.
- Give up a little television time. Let’s face it. Most of us spend way too much time in front of TV. Keep an honest log of your TV time and you’ll see what I mean. Could you give up a show or two to make time for your journal?
- And don’t get me started on digital distractions. How much time are YOU spending on games and social media? It’s time for an honest assessment of that, too. Could you shave fifteen or thirty minutes off of that time, then put all of the minutes together to make time to write in your journal?
- Make a production goal. One reason NaNoWriMo works so well is that it pushes people to write more than they ever dreamed to be possible. 50,000 words in a single month is a VERY ambitious goal, yet each year hundreds of thousands of writers participate. Now, you don’t need to write that much in one month, but you can set ambitious goals for yourself. How about filling your notebook within a certain length of time? Be sure to keep track of your progress in some visible manner, and consider setting up small rewards for yourself at milestones, such as 1/4 or 1/2 way done. Plan a celebration when you do finally reach your goal.
- Keep your eyes on the prize. Once you’ve set a goal, keep it in front of your space all the time. This might be with a sticky note on your keyboard or a home screen graphic on your tablet or computer, but make your goal visible.
- Accountability helps, too. Find someone to be a journaling partner. You don’t have to share your actual writing to do this; just agree to trade word or page counts on a regular basis and to offer encouragement to one another.
Experiment! Find out which of these tips will work for you, and your journal will grow right before your eyes. And remember, if you need a regular dose of writing prompts to build the habit, you’ll want to sign up for the Journaling Life mailing list! You’ll get six weeks’ worth of ideas to write about! Just complete the form below:
