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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.hutchison

Cathy helps people banish overwhelm,
boost creativity 🎨
and reconnect with their ♥️
through visual journaling. 🖌
Get the free Quickstart guide 📗 here

CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. A Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. An underline of color. Your #bulletjournal can be as elaborate as you like, but our lives are complex. #Simplicity feels good.
#Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay enga #Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay engaged in meetings.
I love the A5 size journals because they can go ev I love the A5 size journals because they can go everywhere with me! #journaling #leuchtturm1917 #yourvisualjournal
This morning I received an email from @songdance.c This morning I received an email from @songdance.co with a link to a song. I had no idea how much I needed to hear these words. #journaling #yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournal #neocolor2
Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. #journaling #stationery #artjournaling #sealingwax
I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was seven years old. 

I realized that now that I'm a grown up I could just buy it. 

On Amazon. 

#sealingwax #journaling #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal
I love learning about the authentic fascinations o I love learning about the authentic fascinations of the people in my world. The obscure hobbies they love. The ideas they just can't stop thinking about. The things they pour time (and money) into for no reason except that it gives them joy .

As you jump into 2023, I highly recommend purchasing a #notebook that you can take with you everywhere to feed this part of your life . Write down your inspirations. Capture ideas. Develop thoughts by reviewing them periodically. (And definitely scribble doodles in the margins--that's an important part.)

Engaging a #journaling practice--whatever that looks like for you--can give space for the quirky, beautiful, creative part of you to grow. And as it turns out, #visualthinking in a #journal is my personal, random fascination.

#yourvisualjournal
#bujo #bujoideas #journaling #artjournaling #sketchnotes #bulletjournal #dotjournal #leuchtturm1917
I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I le I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I learned from @michalroots . 

As one part of this, I wrote the sentences that jumped out at me from my 2022 journals as I went page by page. It left me with a sense of what the year was about and gave me an appreciation for the incredible beauty of friends, creativity, inspiration, and big ideas. 

I also looked at my vision board to see what happened, and what didn’t. For the things that didn’t happen, I gave some heart time to figure out the level that I actually want them (and learned it was low.) The things that happened had a lot of desire behind them. (It was an interesting thing to observe.) 

If you want to take Michal’s course, DM him for the link. I found it a valuable process that I will continue going forward.
#journaling #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #bulletjournal #bujoinspiration
Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest post at YourVisualJournal.com dives into how to create one in your journal. #journaling #artjournaling
Happy thanksgiving 🍁 Happy thanksgiving 🍁
Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #t Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #tombowdualbrushpens #bulletjournal #bujo #yourvisualjournal
Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few d Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few doodles at the bottom of your todo list makes it more engaging for your brain. This whole thing was quick to draw. (Mostly circles, a rectangle, and a few lines.) Coloring in with #brushmarkers was fast and easy. 

#yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournaling #sketchnotes #tombowdualbrushpens
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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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