the journaling practice that changed my life & gave me an orbit

the only kind of journaling i've been able to be consistent with!

Journaling, once a deeply personal pursuit, has made its way into the aesthetic zeitgeist in the past few years. Seeing all these pictures and videos of people journaling and talking about its profound impact on their lives has made me feel a weird sense of shame. Fomo, maybe? A peculiar blend of fascination and self-doubt.

“Why can’t I be consistent like that? Will I have enough interesting things to say if I start? There's no way I can keep my handwriting consistently beautiful. What if I spell things wrong? God, it is so embarrassing how reliant I've gotten on spell check. I would have to journal in pen, with a really good pen. What if I make a mistake? I love it when people journal and stick in little movie tickets or pictures. God, I don't have time for that. I don't have time at all.”

These doubts have led to several attempts at journaling, each fizzling out under the pressure of achieving perfection. This quest for an ideal journaling routine has often acted more as a deterrent than a motivator. Perhaps this is merely a convenient excuse cloaked in the guise of self-critique. After all, “perfectionism is procrastination masquerading as quality control.”

Even in those moments when the traditional practice of journaling, particularly the discipline of “morning pages,” (which I think is such a lovely practice, btw!) seemed misaligned with my innate inclinations, I found myself yearning for an outlet — a means to externalize my thoughts. This longing wasn't just for a method to document daily occurrences; it was a deeper craving for anchoring these thoughts, to give them a tangible form, a physical manifestation in the world.

Then, a few months ago, my friend Marion told me about the way she journals, and I felt so inspired. For the first time, I felt like I could tailor something perfectly to my life. Marion prefers the traditional pen-and-paper method, and I used a pinned note on my phone.

The essence of effective journaling lies in its use. It’s akin to the sunscreen you apply daily or the exercise routine you enjoy — the most beneficial is the one you consistently practice.

Ok, now:

Choose verbs that you want to orbit your life around.

What values are important to you? What do you want to call more of into your life?

Mine are “listen, learn, play, love, make, move.” Each night, I reflect on these, noting how I've embodied each verb that day — a moment of active listening, a new lesson learned, an instance of playful joy, an expression of love, a creation I'm proud of, and a way I moved my body.

Yours can be whatever you want! I encourage you to sculpt this practice to your liking. Replace, delete, modify. This journaling practice is like a culinary recipe — adaptable to your taste and available ingredients. We're currently witnessing a concerning phenomenon where individual thought and creativity are becoming increasingly rare and people are losing their ability to think for themselves. Young people want “influencers” to tell them how to purchase, how to think, how to eat, how to feel, how to be. Rather than drawing inspiration from an outfit seen online and thinking, “I love the way that person layers; I want to incorporate more layering into my style,” we find ourselves falling into the trap of imitation, asking, “Where can I buy that exact sweater, those specific jeans, and that particular belt?”

Make a journaling practice work for you, rather than reshaping your life to fit a specific journaling practice.

For those seeking inspiration or a starting point, consider these verbs: ask, want, share, eat, read, talk, feel, write, understand, laugh, create, study, wonder, forgive, discover, experience, achieve, connect, embody, challenge, cherish, enjoy.

And remember, the beauty of journaling lies in its capacity to evolve with you.