Journaling to You (Part 3)

In case you missed Part 1 and Part 2 of this series on creating and sustaining a high quality journaling practice, I want to give you a recap.

In Part 1 I shared a simple method to get you started with your journaling practice.

In Part 2 I shared two key strategies for sustaining your practice: commitment (rather than intention), and connecting your practice with something else you are already doing on a daily basis.

But you may be wondering, “How do I put it all together?”

There is a lot more to know when it comes to creating a sustainable journaling habit that serves you in a deep, life-changing way. Journaling is like a trusted confidante, and it’s so empowering to know that you can create that for yourself!

There are 5 key components for starting and sustaining a journaling practice:

1. The Tools

Believe it or not, sometimes the tools you choose for journaling—the type of pen or notebook, for example—will completely sabotage your journaling practice. This has happened to me, and what I discovered is that having the most ordinary and enjoyable tools were the most supportive of me and my practice.

But it’s different for everyone, and that is what you’ll need to discover.

Getting off on the right foot with the tools that fit YOU will mean experimenting with a variety of tools and methods of journaling. If you’re not aware that this is a process, you may give up too soon.

2. The Timing

The truth about getting anything done is that most of the tasks in our life that aren’t on auto-pilot or are not on our calendars simply don’t get done.

Ideally, your journaling practice needs to happen around the same time every day. Or, it needs to happen immediately before or after something that you do every single day (think: eating, brushing your teeth, taking your children to school, etc.).

3. The Place

To feel comfortable, relaxed, and spacious while exploring your innermost thoughts and feelings, you must have a place that feels private and safe for you.

There is no right or wrong, good or bad here. You may feel most comfortable in your car, and that’s okay.

And once you find your place, stick to it.

4. The Practices

To begin and sustain a journaling practice, you need at least 2-3 go-to methods of journaling that you can use from the very beginning.

When you have options about how you’re going to approach writing time, your practice will be more enjoyable and fruitful, especially when you’re feeling stuck or you’re not sure what to do.

5. Support for your new journaling habit

Anytime you start a new habit or practice, it is imperative to have support.

Support can look like being your own cheerleader as you put a beautiful checkmark next to “journal” on your list of tasks completed for the day.

Or, it could look like buddying up with a friend you can check in with daily or weekly.

Or, you could join a community of support whose sole focus is on helping you get started with your powerful, sustainable journaling practice.

Journaling has become an indispensable and highly reliable tool for me to gain clarity, seek guidance, and process the difficult thoughts and emotions that are inevitable on this amazing and unpredictable journey.

And I know from experience with my clients that with some effort and guidance, journaling can do this for you too.

Here’s what Lynn, a blog reader, shared about her experience of timed writing:

I did my first one-minute journaling, amazing! The permission to only write for one minute helped me get out a thought that is an affirmation I am on the right path to recovery, Thank you Victoria.

When you have a trusted method for exploring and working through life’s problems—all without needing to wait for your next coaching or therapy session—it’s a game-changer.


© Victoria Tidwell Palmer (2022)

victoria-priya

Hi, I'm Victoria!

I love guiding my clients on a journey of Returning to the authentic truth of who they are, Reclaiming what is theirs, and Receiving everything that is meant for them.

8 Comments

  1. Teresa on August 15, 2022 at 8:10 am

    I love to journal. I’ve been out of journaling for a year due to traveling across country and getting set up in our new home. My friend gave me a travel journal to keep me grounded. I may have picked it up two times. You have inspired me to continue. I have encouraged friends that this is a remarkable practice. And I agree, a beautiful journal book or notebook and the perfect pen, whatever that means to anyone, makes a great start. Thank you for the inspiration!

    • Victoria on August 15, 2022 at 10:36 am

      You’re welcome Teresa, I love that you are inspired to continue!💙

  2. Barbie on August 25, 2022 at 10:39 am

    Like you, I have a favorite kind of journal that worlds best for me. And I have to have a certain kind of ink pen that writes the way I like it to. I’m needing to learn how to make my journaling reach a deeper level so it helps me get to more important issues. Thanks again for this class.

    • Victoria on August 25, 2022 at 11:30 am

      Barbie, if you’d like to learn more about how to make your journaling reach a deeper level so that you can get to more important issues, my journaling course will help you with that. The course started today but if you’d still like to get in, please send an email to me at vicki[@]unveilingtiamat.com and we will get you end if you contact us before 5 pm Central.

  3. Melanie Lowndes on September 19, 2022 at 11:11 am

    Hi Vicki,
    I really like that you are encouraging journalling. (I did the Mother Within course with you if remember me.)
    I did not join in with the journalling course because I already have a journalling practice in nice little notebooks- I time myself for 6 mins every morning.
    However, I am clutter clearing and rather aghast at the number of filled-in notebooks which I do not like to throw away. I heard from a friend that you mentioned an electronic device that you journal on which you are really happy with. I would be really grateful if you could say what it is.
    (I also emailed you separately.)
    Thanking you for all your inspiration.
    Love,
    Melanie Lowndes

    • Melanie Lowndes on September 19, 2022 at 1:39 pm

      PS Just to say my email:
      [removed for privacy]

      I am thinking of getting a Galaxy Book 2 360 13.3″ 2 in 1 laptop Intel Core i7 512 GB SSD

      Which will hopefully work for me both as a laptop and touchscreen gadget – I think I will need to buy software for the journaling to print aspect.

    • Victoria on September 19, 2022 at 2:02 pm

      Hi Melanie, it’s great to hear from you!

      I’m so happy to hear that you have a journaling practice. I use a ReMarkable tablet now and I absolutely love it (https://remarkable.com/). The tablets are an investment, but for me, well worth it. I rarely use paper anymore so I am not buying notebooks, pens, or needing to store papers in folders, etc.

      Take care, and happy journaling!💙

      • Melanie Lowndes on September 22, 2022 at 5:04 am

        Hi Vicki,

        Thank you so much for your response🤗. It is great to hear you have it and like it and have no more need for paper and pens!

        I will look at this product. My friend has one too, I have discovered, which is a Supernote AX5. He said he decided on that one because he could organise his files on it but I’m not sure what he meant by that. It had 32Gig storage. I wasn’t sure if that would be enough.

        I have some decisions to make. How much storage is there? Is the content easy to organise and to transfer?
        These are not questions for you (unless it is enjoyable for you to answer them) but matters I need to research.

        All my best,
        Melanie xo

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