6 Journaling Ideas

Do you journal?  I do most days and have on and off for years.  But some days I get stuck and need a little kick start, so I thought I'd share with you some of the strategies I use regularly to get me going:

1. Magazines

I don't really buy magazines, but if a friend or my mum gives me one, I usually find great journal fodder.  Below are the words I cut out of a Real Simple magazine last month - I use them as a starting point for a journal entry.

2. Blogs

I read a lot of blogs, but there are several blog authors that I can't miss and read everything they post.  They always give me food for thought or food for journaling:

• Tiny Buddha (absolute favorite)
• Scoutie Girl
• A Certain Simplicity
• Momentum Gathering
• Cleavage (this is new one I just added it to the must-read list)

3. Poems

If I don't feel like writing anything, I'll write out a poem I've read and liked in the past few weeks.  Here's a recent one I've loved by Kendra Ford:

April Wind

Branches crack and fall.

High wind

cleans the trees

of winter weight.

Unburden yourself.

Let the wind ride through you.

Open your mouth:

Let the spring wind blow every word

down the alleys and into the fields.

Let loose your dead wood.

Bloom small in the mud.

4. Quotes & Fortune Cookies
I see quotes everywhere that I pop into my journal but fortune cookies can deliver some wisdom too - don't laugh!.  Here are some I've collected:

 

5. Just Three

This is something I do a lot - I mean, a lot.  I write down just 3 things that I'm grateful for, or that made me happy, amazed me, ticked me off (insert your choice) for that particular day.  It takes the pressure off, but over time still gives you a sense of where I'm at in my life.  So, today I'm grateful that:

1. My car was fixed

2. I was able to take a long walk with my dog

3. That I made the soup we're having for dinner last night

Get the idea?

6. Pictures

If in doubt, a picture speaks a thousand words.  If I've got a mammoth pile of photos on the dining room table that I just ordered from Snapfish thinking that I'd actually scrapbook them (yeah right), then I'll pull a good one out and tape it in with a few thoughts.  How cute is my girl?

I want to know......do you journal?  What do you do to get your ideas flowing?  What do you do when you get stuck?

Ali

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