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5 Types of Journaling that Can Change Your Life

Last updated on April 24th, 2022 • How to Journal

Have you ever begun a journaling practice only to stop a few days later?

Or maybe you even kept it up for weeks and months, but then got busy and abandoned it.

What if the reason you stopped is that you just didn’t have the right type of practice for where your life was at in that moment?  You could test drive another method.   Here are 5 different types of journaling  practices that can change your life and help you get back in the habit so you can reap the benefits:  

Need fast and simple? Try Minimalist Journaling.

This is by far the leanest version of journaling.  Simply purchase a small journal (5.5 x 3.5 or 4 x 2.4) and keep it by your bedside.  At the end of each day, write down the most important thought of the day.  One thought per page keeping it to a single sentence. The rationale for only writing one thought per page is that all the white space keeps the journal feeling simple. And while initially boiling your whole day into a sentence may not feel simple, once you get in the rhythm, it becomes a powerful practice for capturing and recalling your most important thoughts.  

Journaling creates a record, so that we can actually go back and see the forward motion in our lives. #journaling
Journaling creates a record, so that we can actually go back and see the forward motion in our lives. #journaling

Want to get better at getting things done? Try Bullet Journaling.

Bullet Journaling is a system for rapid logging developed by digital product designer, Ryder Carroll. The method brings your schedule, to do lists and aspirational goals into a single place that your mind can trust.  Plus, in our mostly digital lives, there can be power in an analog system. While it takes a bit to learn the concept, once you have the hang of it, the system is fast and effective. Want to learn more? Check out: http://bulletjournal.com/.  

“Journal writing gives us insights into who we are, who we were, and who we can become.” - @sandramarinella

Need to unload a cluttered mind? Try Morning Pages.

Artist, Julia Cameron, has a practice of unloading the mind first thing every morning that has become wildly popular with creatives. In her book, The Artists Way, Cameron writes: “In order to retrieve your creativity, you need to find it. I ask you to do this by an apparently pointless process I call the morning pages…the morning pages are three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness.” The thing about morning pages is that they are neither intended to be writing nor art.  Instead, it is a kinesthetic exercise that helps your brain clear itself so that you can be more focused for the rest of the day.  

Want to become more positive? Try a Gratitude Journal.

Many people having impact in the world credit a gratitude journal as being key to their success. Oprah Winfrey—who kept a gratitude journal for a decade without fail—says, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Taking time each day to list a certain number of things we are grateful for changes our interior landscape and actually retrains what our brain focuses on. Some use a handwritten journal for the practice, but you can also go digital with an app like DayOne or Gratitude 365.

Don’t enjoy writing? Try a Photo Journal.

Photo journaling is the simple practice of taking daily photos and logging them somewhere that you can see them sequentially. The key to making photos a journaling practice is that you capture something specific so that you can see changes over time. Simple living blogger, Tammy Stroebel, has a practice of capturing her morning view each day.  Noah Kalina takes a photo of himself each day. Others participate in a photo a day challenge. No matter what you decide to capture each day, Instagram, Tumblr, and the Day One apps are great platforms to post a daily photo.  Or, if you prefer analog, simply keep the images on your device and have a photobook printed at the end of the year.  

5 Types of Journaling That Can Change Your Life

Why journal at all?

In our distracted world, journaling is a consistent pause-button that prompts us to get off of autopilot. It provides a window of reflection each day to keep us connected to the deeper things. Best of all, journaling creates a record, so that we can actually go back and see the forward motion in our lives.


Want tips on how to journal? Get the free ebook on How to Journalwith 28 ways to journal and hundreds of resources so you can find the method that is right for you.

About Cathy Hutchison

Cathy Hutchison helps people get more joy, meaning, and freedom in a world of demands through the practice of visual journaling.

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Cathy helps people
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This book! I read The Buy Nothing Get Everything This book! 

I read The Buy Nothing Get Everything Plan at the intersection of: 

+ Feeling overwhelmed by how much plastic I use (and learning the severe limitations of plastic recycling.) 

+ The extreme cost of alternatives like toothpaste that comes in tablets, biodegradable plasticware, etc.

This book is SO PRACTICAL! Not only did it connect me to the Buy Nothing app which has resulted in some great gifts with people in my neighborhood, but it also reminded me that our grandparents didn't use all this stuff. (Commercials changed the way we live.) 

This book reminded me that: 

1) My mom brushed her teeth with baking soda as a child. (I put some in a diner-style sugar dispenser with peppermint essential oil and the cleaning results are pretty great.) 

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3) Tons of things can be repurposed. (And Amazon doesn't need to be my first move.) 

I highly recommend downloading the free @buynothingapp and grabbing a copy of this book. (I first listened to it on my library's app, then decided to buy a copy so I could mark it up and use flags on the pages where I want to implement the ideas. 

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This is the most complex #urbansketch I’ve compl This is the most complex #urbansketch I’ve completed to date. Saturday, my @starbucks was crowded. I started with a quick pencil sketch, but the reality is that the scene kept moving. People standing there are amalgamations of those who came and went. 

It's interesting the decisions you have to make to simplify what's there so the drawing communicates, but still remains authentic to the scene. (ie. there's a lot of stuff missing behind the counter) I'm deeply enjoying this practice of drawing everyday scenes. 
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Ever hear something that resonates so much you hav Ever hear something that resonates so much you have to write it down in your #journal word for word? #artjournaling
I'm finding that the more digital my world becomes I'm finding that the more digital my world becomes, the more satisfying it is to touch pens and paper. It's part of why I'm enjoying practicing #urbansketching.

The thing about urban sketching is that you learn it by doing it. I have a small pouch of pens and #watercolors with me all the time, so when I had some wait time at the Arboretum I tried to capture what was right in front of me. It became the backdrop to a #journal entry.

#yourvisualjournal
I carry my notebook with me everywhere and capture I carry my notebook with me everywhere and capture whatever feels significant or particularly charming. Because it is such a hub I keep my calendar here as well. It gives me a visual overview of the month and the doodles make me smile when planning. #journaling #yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal
Wine and I are not friends. (Yes, I know. Shocking Wine and I are not friends. (Yes, I know. Shocking.) 

However, I do enjoy wineries (= sitting on patios in beautiful locations talking with friends.) 

So, this weekend, I went with my wine friends which gave me the chance to practice #urbansketching in new locations. 

I find I keep focusing on the people and ignoring the scenery. By far to me the best part of any “place” is the people who are part of the fabric. 

It’s been fun exploring this type of #visualjournaling
Sometimes when faced with a whole #journal page it Sometimes when faced with a whole #journal page it’s easier to draw a smaller canvas to work in. Plus botanical #doodles are fun. #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal
I love capturing moments in a conversation in my j I love capturing moments in a conversation in my journal. This page was captured while sitting around Melanie’s kitchen table drinking tea.
Yesterday I went out solo for lunch to practice mo Yesterday I went out solo for lunch to practice more #urbansketching. This is such a fun challenge trying to build the skill.
Lately I’ve been practicing #urbansketching in m Lately I’ve been practicing #urbansketching in my visual journal. It’s a fun challenge and can be done with a brevity of supplies.  #artjournaling #journaling #leuchtturm1917
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This year, BFF Weekend was held @lynettesug's brot This year, BFF Weekend was held @lynettesug's brothers house at Lake Tahoe. This area remains one of the most beautiful places I've ever experienced. I tried to capture it in my journal. 

Of course, a favorite part (besides just getting to be with these women) was sitting on the deck watching birds come to the feeder. There were Stellar Jays, Juncos, and--what I drew--a Mountain Chickadee. 

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Disclosures

Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The author receives a  small (really small) commission if you happen to buy something.  Funds are used to support journaling supplies & four crazy sweet Aussies who bark for treats every time I come in the door. (To be fair, I have a pattern of giving in to them.) I write about all kinds of journaling, and if Bullet Journaling is your thing, I’m here to support you. But if you want to go deep, go to the original source–Ryder Carroll, who created the system, and started it all at bulletjournal.com. I use the method daily which is why I started writing about it here.
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