Hi everyone! How’s your first few weeks of 2021? In my case it was both amazing and frustrating — but all in all it was faith filled… there are moments of rejoicing and moments of testing how strong faith is and in all of these episodes my journal was nearby.

Yes, I have a journal kept close with me whether I work, relax, or even when I go out. It’s my go-to whenever a thought, emotion or prayer springs up. It’s my means to reflect, record, and also talks to God. Recently, I’ve kept it closer and would write on it from time to time within an day even as I work. It has kept me on check with my emotions and the lessons learned in a moment… this is journal writing for me.

If you are looking to start your own or struggling to do it on a regular basis or don’t know where to start, well, this week is for you as I’ll be sharing how to start your journal writing journey.

…But before I share anything, let’s have a look what’s a journal and why many keep one.

What’s a Journal and Why Have One?

A Journal (also referred to as a “diary”) is a record of events in your life. It’s where you write down any thoughts, ideas, and emotions or simply anything you want to write about. In my case, I use it as my means to pray and communicate with God – and I’ve benefitted from doing this.

While journaling is all about keeping a record of events and thoughts, doing this does more than just taking notes — it makes us mindful of our emotions, responses, reactions, our thoughts, and what triggered us to act and think. We get to know ourselves more — what makes us happy, sad, joyful, frustrated, and excited. It even gives us a glimpse of the hopes and dreams and ideas we once had and are now living in. Journaling helps us process things around us.

I know that some of you may not be too fond of keeping a journal and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, if you are someone who may be struggling with pent-up and unchecked emotions, or those you’ve been trying to swallow and put off without processing them, keeping a journal can be very useful.

Last year, I came across stories of individuals who are considering keeping a journal. While some may be due to underlying concerns that have lasted for years, others are due to the isolation and frustration brought by Covid-19—the very reason why many are looking into journaling is to process any negative emotions and thoughts. Unfortunately, while others may have the desire to start, some have expressed how they were not able to keep doing it regularly or even how to start. After all, it’s like opening yourself up — the question is how to start writing it or what should they write about next. Well if this is you, don’t worry. For this week, I’ll be sharing a guide how to start your journal writing.

PART 1: How to Choose the Right Journal for You
PART 2: How to Start Writing Your Reflection Journal Entries

As much as I wanted to share these parts in this content, I noticed if I did, I’d overwhelm you. I’ve written it longer than what I’m supposed to share (haha). So to make it easier, I divided it into two parts in hopes to keep you more guided

Please take note, that what I’ll be sharing is based on what worked for me. I’ll be including some examples to help you picture what each entry means. Of course, as you go along these, I encourage you to also look for what works for you as you go along the way. Just keep journaling consistently to see your progress and the lessons you can also share with others.

Watch out for the next post! 😉

Cheers!