The One Habit That Turns Confusion Into Clarity

“I’ve been journaling since I was 13. My mom got me onto it,” said my hair stylist, Julia.

“It helped me become very self-aware. I know what drains me and what makes me happy,” she added.

I was more pleased than surprised to hear about Julia’s journaling practice. She is a patient listener who loves to engage in deep conversations and is often wise beyond her years.

My Own Journaling Journey

I’ve been journaling for the past 7 years, and it has made a significant difference in my life.

It helped me get to know myself better, gave voice to overlooked thoughts, and often led me to clarity when I was confused.

It’s often the place I turn to for ideas on what to write in my newsletter.

When life gets tough, in addition to a therapist, we need another outlet for self-expression. A journal is a great place to share your thoughts and feelings without worrying about being judged.

No one other than you will read your journal, and it’s one space where you can be completely yourself.

Every chance I get, I advise people to start journaling so they can gain insight into their inner selves.

Advice from the Experts

Speaking of Julias, Julia Cameron — author of The Artist’s Way — has had a big impact on my commitment to journaling.

She calls journaling “Morning Pages,” a practice we do first thing in the morning to awaken our creativity.

Writing in morning pages helps eliminate self-doubt, fear, and any other negative thoughts our mind tells us we can’t do. It’s an excellent tool for unblocking us.

Julia shares that the morning pages have helped not just writers, but also lawyers become more effective in court, dancers improve their balance, and TV producers come up with new ideas.

If you are new to journaling and wondering how to get started, here are some tips to help you begin.

Getting Started with Journaling

In her book, Julia Cameron talks about writing three pages each day. While this is a great goal to get to eventually, if you’ve never journaled before, writing even a single page can be intimidating.

1. Start with everyday observations like: I ate pasta for lunch today. I wore jeans to work yesterday. It was too hot outside today.
2. Morning journaling is ideal, but journaling at night works too. Regardless of the time, it helps to stick to a consistent daily schedule. If you miss a day, get back to it without judging yourself.
3. Begin with something simple in a notebook or online. I tried to journal in a notebook, but it wasn’t for me. As someone who worked in corporate for too long, I was much more comfortable with a Google Doc.
4. As you show up again and again, you will figure out what to write about. The goal is to keep the hand moving and write whatever comes to your mind.
5. Some days it’s about a conflict with someone in the family, other days it’s about a movie you saw. Content doesn’t matter.

Finding Your Style

Once you are comfortable with journaling, you can experiment with different styles, such as time-based journaling for 10 minutes or theme-based journaling, where you write about something you want to vent about, like an upcoming project.

A friend of mine, who recently started journaling, initially struggled to figure out what to write. Now she writes paragraphs in her journal each day.

Once you get into it, it becomes second nature, and what you write doesn’t matter as long as you keep showing up.

The Takeaway

Journaling, like any other new habit, takes time to stick. I like to journal as soon as I open my laptop each morning. It’s my way of clearing my head before diving into anything else. It’s like how a musician practices their scales or an athlete warms up before they begin the real work.

If you decide to try journaling, I’d love to hear about your experience. We don’t automatically become self-aware. Practices like journaling help us discover who we are.