How to Use Journaling to Boost Your Writing Success

The Potential of Daily Journaling for Writers

How many times have you heard writers tell you how much journaling helps them? But is journaling for you?  

I think if it is something you haven’t tried, the potential benefits are worth giving it a shot. 

Or, maybe you already journal, but are you getting the full potential you can out of journaling?

I’ve journaled on and off for much of my life, but it wasn’t until 2018 that I unlocked the true power of journaling. To write about your life is more than writing down what you did in your day and what you are feeling—though, that is still a part—but journaling is also a tool to use to further your success.

Journaling, if done correctly, can help you find goals, make plans to achieve your goals, and find the strength to claim success. 

For me, journaling is also a way to identify and stabilize my feelings, as well as dispose of thoughts running around in circles in my head. When I journal I often finish with better clarity of thought to start my day, and even motivation to climb on top of my goals. 

Below I am walking through how you can structure a journal entry to boost your attitude to set you up for a great day, and long-term success. 

How to Write a Journal Entry

What I will be going through can be taken as a template you can use or adapt for your own uses. The 4 topics of journaling I go through are proven methods of furthering your success in life. 

Daily journaling in the morning helps you start out your day the right way, while evening journaling can help you conclude and process your day while preparing for the next. One or both is good, the decision is up to you. 

Part 1: Feelings and Thoughts

 The first topic I address when I journal is my thoughts and feelings. I clear my head and try to discern what emotions are driving me in the moment. If my head is racing with thoughts, I write those down so I can process and remove them.

Write down anything that is bothering you, scaring you, making you happy or sad. Once you write down what is happening, don’t just leave it there, but make a difference in your mindset. 

If things aren’t going well, reshape your thinking to find the rainbow in the rainstorm. This is your chance to make use of something getting you down by deciding to make it better.

If you have nothing bad to report, be thankful. Write down what you are thankful for, and instill the good feeling inside of yourself. Write down what is making you feel good so on bad days you can go back and remember how to journey back to the good place. 

My goal in journaling is to feel better than when I started. If you walk away from an entry feeling the tiniest bit more clear about your life, than you are on the right track of journaling. 

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Part 2: Goals

The next place I go to is goals. Writing down what you want to do—what you want in life—is a powerful way to accomplish great things. 

You can’t accomplish anything if you don’t know what you want. Put down small goals, but also tremendous goals. Let you imagination roam beyond where you believe your limits end. 

What do you want in life? 

What kind of person do you want to be? 

Do you want to be close with friends and family? 

Do you want to be a part of a community? 

What do you want to accomplish in your writing? 

How much money do you want to make? 

The beauty of journaling is it’s meant for your eyes only. Journal the crazy things in every aspect of your life. It will do you good beyond measure. 

Part 3: Plans

Now that you know what you want, how will you get there? 

This is the part where you take your goals and put a plan to them. 

Freehand a schedule for the day. 

Map out your week. 

Think through how you will finish your next novel or grow your platform. 

Set target dates for your projects. 

There is so much you can plan and so many ways to do it. Be creative and don’t be afraid to play around with the tremendous goals you journaled about earlier. 

This part is all about setting the abstract goals into a concrete and actionable plan you can act on. The first step to accomplishing a goal is figuring out how you will do it. 

When you know how you will do something, the fear that stems from not knowing what to do will be removed from your road to get there. 

Part 4: Affirm Your Success

Finally, at the end of your entry, affirm your success. Whatever you are reaching for, affirm that you will succeed. 

At the end of my entries I write “I will succeed. I am succeeding.” By doing this I find the confidence to go out and succeed in my day. 

Affirm your skills as a writer. Have faith that you will finish your book and make a successful writing career. 

The best way to succeed is by acting like someone who has already succeeded. Act like who you want to be in the future, and you will become that person. 

Want to blog weekly? Act like a person who blogs weekly. 

The possibility to achieve your goals lies in your faith in your capabilities. By writing affirmations of your success, you are reinforcing your ability to overcome your goals. 

It’s Your Turn

The benefits of journaling are so great in my life, I believe everyone should give it a shot if they haven’t. 

But perhaps journaling isn’t for you. That’s fine, but I do believe the practice of writing down your goals, making plans, and affirming your success should be practiced by every writer. 

Give these different ways to journal a try, and let me know how it helps you by posting in the comments or emailing me directly. 

Featured photo by Jess Watters on Unsplash