The greatest irony of this blog is that I don't particularly love journaling, or most other means of writing. I do enough of it for work documentation and keeping track of things in my daily life, that the thought of sitting down to record more words is simply unappealing at times.
Yet, as begrudgingly as I admit this, I cannot deny the clear benefits of journaling with a purpose. In my personal experience with journaling and my professional experience in encouraging my therapy clients to journal - some of whom love it, and some who are more skeptical - I find that the secret is simplicity in action (and use the SMART goal method for getting real clear on when, where, why, and how much you’ll journal).
So. Let’s start simple. What journal topic could you choose that will have the greatest impact on your self-awareness, happiness, or will have the most wide-spread [almost trickle-down] effect on your life and mental health? While I can’t answer that for you, below is a list of prompts that I have used, colleagues have used, or which I would like to use with clients. If nothing stands out to you, please get creative with it! It’s your journal after all!
What was inside of my control today that I did/did not act upon? Would I do it the same again?
What was outside of my control today? How did I accommodate it? [i.e. coping methods]
What values were directing my behaviour today?
If I could go back and choose one thing to change about today, something small, which would have brought me closer to my values or goals, what would it be?
What thoughts, feelings, or memories got in the way or distracted me today? What do those things tell me?
What am I experiencing in the here & now? What thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and behavioural urges are showing up? (1-3 items per category).
If I was a neutral observer witnessing my own life like a scientist with a camera, what three observations would I make about my day?
With this one, be aware that your inner critic or perfectionist may show up - keep it clinical and non-judgmental.
Which 2-3 thoughts or emotions showed up that impacted my behaviour? Was it helpful?
Unless otherwise specified, I encourage clients to only record 3-5 items for a single prompt. The idea is not to exhaust the possibilities, but rather to address those which were most impactful. Simple responses are also welcome! In some cases, single word responses are perfectly acceptable! The idea is to prompt structured reflection with a possible (likely?) side-effect of you noticing your own patterns over time: Which you can then decide if you like them as is or if you’d like to implement a change.
The last piece of this puzzle is applying SMART goal principles to it. We do this to get clear about when, where, how, and why we are journaling. While this part is somewhat more complex, providing yourself with these answers in advance takes the guesswork out of the action. Upfront mental work is the trade off for simplicity in action (in acting out the goal itself); The set up for the success .
SMART goals is an acronym which stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-limited
SMART goals aim to maximize the success possibility for any goal, and this principle can be applied to anything which you’d like to do or need to do. For our purposes, once you’ve selected a topic, answer the following questions for each aspect of your journaling goal:
Specific
When am I going to journal?
Consider adding it to a previously established routine, i.e. with morning coffee, or just before reading or watching TV in the evening.
Where am I going to journal?
Some choose their phone’s note app for convenience. Others choose a specific book with a special pen or pencil to cultivate an inviting and calm -and therefore motivating- ritual. Others still choose post-it notes or scrap paper to reduce the feeling of this being a “task”.
How often am I going to journal?
Is it a daily thing? Every other day? 3 or 4 days a week? If not every day, then which days of the week or following which events?
What am I going to do if I miss one?
Are you going to add an extra item on the following day? Skip it entirely? Record the falter to hold myself accountable?
Am I going to tell anyone about this, to help with keeping myself accountable? I.e. an Accountability Partner
Measurable
By the act of writing journal answers down, the task is inherently measurable. You either did or did not write your responses. Reflecting mentally is good, and certainly has its uses; but written records take reflection out of the abstract thought and creates a concrete sentence and evidence of reflection, which can then be later used for finding patterns.
How many responses do you wish to put down?
1-5 seems to be a sweet spot for making journaling goals useful and sustainable. Select a small range which you find suitable.
Achievable
Does this goal feel like something you can realistically do? Not in an ideal world, but in the one you’re living?
What is likely to get in your way and prevent you from journaling?
What can you do to minimize the impact of those things?
What about the journaling goal can you alter to make journaling at all more achievable?
Relevant
First, check in with yourself about why you want to journal?
Does the topic you’ve selected address that reason? Or does it need to be altered?
Time-limited
How long do you want to do this for? 2 weeks? 2 months? It’s up to you! But I’d encourage something specific here, a hard-set date. Whether or not you continue past that point or change something to better suit your needs is a decision to be made on that day! This is a second-level moment for reflection: A reflection on your reflection process. For those in therapy, I usually suggest the deadline of until-next-session, unless it’ll be a while then I suggest 2-4 weeks. After that point, the entire journaling goal is up for review!
Alright! That was more than enough questions for one read! If you think of a question that’s been missed or wish to share a prompt that you plan to use and may be helpful for others, please feel free to comment below. If this type of journaling intrigues you, but you didn’t see a prompt that’s right for you or you’re unsure how to put this into practice for yourself, please use the contact me section of this website to reach out & we’ll set up a time to talk! The idea is to keep it short, sustainable, and useful. With those ideas in mind, be creative! Journal in a way that’s best suited to you and enjoy the reflection process!
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