by Elton Gahr

Created on: May 03, 2009   Last Updated: March 02, 2011

Starting a personal journal is something which sounds fun when you start and typically it is. This excitement doesn't last long though and once you forget to do it once it is easy to begin to put it off, and each day it becomes easier to either procrastinate or forget until it has been so long since your last journal entry that you are effectively starting over..

The first key to beginning to journaling then isn't to simply sit down and write as it might seem, but to make a plan. This may seem contradictory to the idea of a journal since they are meant to be fun and not a structured plan. It can become more that later once you have a habit, and it will begin that way with what you write.

The first step in the plan is to pick a time to journal. It doesn't have to be every day, but it has to be consistent and something you will remember so daily is often a good place to start. Try to pick a time that you will be clear headed. Some people like to write in the morning, others late at night. All that really matters is that you have a time.

Next, you will want a place to do it. A journal is personal so you will want some place private and quiet. It is also good to pick a single location, this will help to set the routine which is what you are attempting.

Getting a journal is the next step. There is nothing wrong with a standard spiral notebook and in fact it is often less intimidating than a more expensive journal so the key is really to get something that is going to motivate you to write.

When you are ready to begin to keep a journal you will then have to decide what it is you want to record. Simply writing down your thoughts each day will become more difficult over time as you begin to feel that you are repeating yourself. There is nothing wrong with repeating yourself, finding patterns is one of the uses of a journal but you want to repeat useful things.

The most universal of those is the date. Always date your journal, it may seem a bit silly but when you look back you aren't going to remember when you wrote this. Other things worth regularly recording are your emotions, your expenditures, your food and your work.

No matter how much you like to write if you don't have a plan the odds are you are going to stop after a few days. So create a basic working plan and allow journaling to become a habit and you will be happy that you did.

Learn more about this author, Elton Gahr.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.