I think journaling has been the most helpful practice in my life. Those few moments every day help me make sense of how the rest of my time is spent, and help me look at how I want my time to be spent differently. Mindful living, to me, is living with an awareness of how you are living, and journaling fits right into that. In this video I share the two different journals I write in almost every day, and why you might want to consider doing the same.
The first is what I call my daily pages. It comes from Julia Cameron’s morning pages in The Artist’s Way, where you sit down and write three pages every day, just getting the words flowing out of your mind. I first started this practice over 20 years ago, and I’ve done it in fits and spurts ever since. It’s where I reflect on what I experienced the day before, notice feelings I might have missed in the moment, and capture what I want to remember. I type mine. I’ve read the studies about how beneficial handwriting is, but my mind goes too fast. A lot of clarity comes to my life because I take the time in the morning to write those words.
The second is my daily log, inspired by a season of bullet journaling. Every morning I write my top three for the day. Sometimes one of those is simply “rest day.” Then I note what I did to engage my heart, my mind, and my body, and I capture a few highlights as the day goes on. It’s much more practical, but it helps me see how intentional I’m being and whether I’m living in a way that feels healthy and well-rounded. If you don’t journal yet, don’t try to start both at once. Pick the one that fits your schedule best, build a rhythm, and maybe add the other down the road. And if you’d like more help with practices like this, you’ll find a few courses, including a free one, on my Personal Growth Guides page.