Are You New to Journaling? How Much Should You Journal?

Are You a Journaling Novice? Do You Want to Find Out How to Journal?

Are you new to journaling?

Do you know how to even start journaling?

Let me tell you a little secret on learning how to journal. This secret also applies if you journal now, but want to do more of it.

THE SECRET WAY TO LEARN HOW TO JOURNAL:

ADD ONE MINUTE PER DAY PER WEEK

The secret on how to learn how to journal, or how to journal more now if you already do is this:

Sit down right now and journal. I'm not kidding. Journal for at least one minute every day for a week. 

The following week, journal for a total of 2 minutes every day for a week.

Then, journal for a total of 3 minutes every day for a week.

Keep adding a minute until you're to the point you journal half an hour in the morning, half an hour in the evening, and a minute here and there all day long. 

It's that simple. 

Don't sit down and start with journaling for two hours a day, Monday through Friday, and three to four hours per day over the weekend. If you try this, you're going to fall flat on your face and might even learn to hate journaling.

A marathon runner didn't wake up one morning and say I'm going to run a marathon and go out the next day and run it. Rather, they train up to the marathon. 

The same goes for journaling. 

HOW MUCH DO I JOURNAL?

I journal some every single day. Period. Even if it's just for one minute. 

This is my fast, non-negotiating rule. I journal every day. It means something to me and helps me live a better quality of life, where it gives me a better perspective. 

If I skip journaling, my spirit suffers. My heart feels empty and I tend to get emotional. I feel like something is missing and I feel anxious if I don't journal. 

Now, as to how much I journal. Remember, I've been doing this for three+ decades. I've built up to this point. 

Most days, I journal about three to four hours a day. Some days, however, I'm lucky to journal for half an hour. 

I'm in the process of wanting to build to eight hours a day, then twelve of journaling. (I'm not kidding.) 

How much should you journal? Start with one minute at least per day. Then, build up from there. 

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC 2014.)