- Keeping a journal is a fantastic habit
because it lets you reflect on your experiences
and see how you've grown.
However, it's also true
that writing can be a time-consuming task.
Keep watching for our five tips
to help you maintain the journaling habit
without devoting hours of your day to writing.
One: Write in a one-line-a-day journal.
If the sight of a blank page makes you want
to close your journal and walk away,
we get it.
Try using a journal like the Midori Multi-Year Diary.
It is formatted for just one or two sentences a day,
over three, five, or even ten years.
When you finish the diary, you can be proud of knowing
that you stuck with a habit for such a long time.
You also get a cool, personal keepsake
that can help you look back on special memories.
Midori's 1-Year Diary is perfect for anyone
who's a little anxious about using the same journal
for several years.
It has enough undated pages for a full year.
And if you skip a couple days, no one will ever know.
Two: Incorporate micro journaling into your routine.
Sometimes, you really wanna sit down and write for pages.
You save up topics
while waiting for the perfect time to journal,
but when you finally get a break,
you've forgotten everything you wanted to talk about.
That's where micro journaling comes in.
Micro journaling allows you
to capture your strongest thoughts about the day
in a concise form.
One way you can do this is by jotting down
a list of moments that you want to look back on,
like how you felt or what you accomplished.
You can write on a sticky note
and attach it to your journal,
then return to it later
if you want to flesh out your thoughts.
Even if you're not able to get around
to writing a longer journal entry,
you still have the list to remind you of what happened.
Three: Create a repeatable template.
Have you ever stared at the blank page of your journal,
torn on what to write about,
and then your fifteen minutes?
And then your fifteen minutes of free time have disappeared?
Phew! Gone in an instant!
What were you doing?
You're on your phone.
(Stephanie laughs)
To get rid of the barriers that keep you from writing,
create a prompt list that make getting started effortless.
To make this template,
think about basic things you want to write about.
Simple questions like "What was the best thing
that happened today?"
or "What did I do today?" is easy to answer,
so you won't have to think too hard as you start journaling.
Write it down on a separate piece of paper
like a Kokuyo Information Card
and keep it with your notebook.
Four: Record information that's actually important to you.
When people think of journaling,
they usually assume that they're supposed to be writing
about their daily lives.
But if you find that talking about your commute
or the dinner you ate to be pointless,
then you should consider writing about other topics
that are important to you.
For example, if you love to read,
use your journal to jot down quotes.
Trying out every coffee shop in town?
Write reviews of your favorite drinks.
Filling in your journal while enjoying other hobbies
means you can do two things at once.
Remember: there's no right or wrong way
to write in your journal.
What matters is that you're using it
in a way that feels satisfying and important to you.
Five: Keep your writing space and supplies organized.
Real talk, Aunty Stephanie is asking you,
you gotta say the truth.
When you sit down to write,
do you have to spend 5
or 10 minutes clearing off your desk first?
You can tell me.
It's a safe space.
Then you have to find your journal, pick out a favorite pen,
gather up all your craft supplies,
and you're out of time.
To make journaling as stress free as possible,
keep all your supplies organized in the same spot.
The Nakabayashi Haconia Organizer
can hold A6 or A5 journals.
It has stackable trays that can be used to sort pens
and small accessories.
Plus, if your desk is a disaster,
you can easily create a new writing spot
by simply moving the organizer to a different table.
Another table where you can make a new mess.
How do you journal when you're busy?
Let us know in the comments below.
Check out our other journaling videos
to see our favorite journals and get even more ideas.
You also get a cool, personal keepsake
that can help you look back on special memories.
It's a book.
It's a book that you wrote in.
It's your story.
You are the protagonist.
Unless if you lie in it. (Stephanie laughs)
We won't talk about that.
I know you do.
It's yours.
Once you buy it, you do whatever you want.
Write your own personal fan fiction, do.
It's your diary.
Do it.
Do whatever you want.
It has enough undated pages for a full year
and if you skip a couple of days, no one will ever know.
Santa will know.
He knows everything.
♪ He sees you when you're lying ♪
♪ In your multi-year diary ♪
Two: Incorporate micro journaling into your routine.
Sometimes you just want to pretend
like you're Marie Antoinette
and you have your own little she-shed
and you have all the time in the world
to just sit down
and write for the whole day if you so chose,
and eat your macarons.
Unfortunately, some of us have jobs,
and it's just not gonna happen.
It just doesn't happen.
Trying out every coffee shop in town?
How much money do you have?
(Stephanie laughs)
And can you spare some to me?
Thanks for watching.
I'll pretend that I'm JetDo. Got it.
I'm an alien.
I have no mouth and I must scream.
The only way I can scream is through journaling.
(Stephanie laughs)
(light music)