The Different Phases of Journaling
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When you first start committing to writing in a journal, there are a few different phases you will likely go through. While not everyone’s experience is exactly the same, this trend in the phases of journaling is fairly common. Understanding them will help you to prepare and hopefully be able to work through them and find your motivation to keep going.
Beginning Stage – Getting Ready and Excited
The first stage of journaling is typically the planning stage and when you are getting really excited about the prospect. You can start shopping around for journals, think about what you will write about, dream, and imagine how your life will change. This is a really fun and exciting stage of journaling. Have fun with it, enjoy the experience of finding the perfect journal, and start looking for some topics you want to write about.
Your First Few Journal Entries
Next, you will start writing in your journal, which often encompasses some of your biggest ideas. Many people start slow with what their goals are or what they’re thinking about, while others like to start journaling by talking about their day and just whatever is on their mind. These first few entries tend to be easy to do since you’re just getting started. You often begin writing with the thoughts in the front of your mind, what has been weighing on you the most or what you spend the most time thinking about.
Slowly Running Out of Topics and Motivation
You may get to a phase in your journaling when you are a little burnt out, are running out of ideas, and might even skip a day or two. This can happen gradually, where you slowly start using your journal less, or maybe it takes a little longer to figure out what you want to write about.
Skipping More Days and Reaching Burnout
Inevitably, you reach burnout. You skip more days, and you start losing interest in journaling. Not everyone goes through this, but often when you don’t know why you are journaling, aren’t sure it is benefiting you, or your mind keeps changing with how you want to journal, burnout happens. But don’t worry – there are many ways to get back on track.
Finding New Inspiration
Hopefully, you can find new inspiration, and get back to journaling. This may come in many forms. Maybe you decide to go in a different direction and take a different approach, or you think about why you started journaling in the first place and that sparks some ideas. Inspiration can be found in so many ways, just through the act of not giving up and continuing to write.
Have you gone through these phases in your journaling journey? Let’s talk about it in the comments!
Other Journaling Posts
- Journaling Means Something Different to Everyone
- Isolation is the Perfect Time for Journaling
- How Often to do Stream of Consciousness Journaling
- You Need Journaling Routines
Loving Life — The Reboot!
Dominique