What should I write in my journal?
Generally, it’s a question asked by those who are new at journaling. But even regular journal keepers want to know what ELSE they can write in their journals.
In this article, I’m going to mention just some of the things you could write in your journal. Possibilities are endless, but hopefully these ideas here will get your creative juices flowing.
45 Things You Can Write In Your Journal
- Write about your day.
- Write about your feelings.
- Write about your family relationships
- Write about your romantic life
- Write about your dreams
- Write about your travel plans
- Write about your local area
- Write about the people you see day to day, including strangers
- Write about films and TV shows you love
- Write about concerts or plays you go to
- Write about festivals
- Make lists about your various favourite things
- Write about the food you eat
- Write about your fitness regime
- Write about your perfect house
- Write about your childhood memories
- Write about your school or college
- Write about your workplace
- Write about your goals and action plans
- Design your dream house in your journal
- Design your perfect outfits
- Write a story
- Find your muse
- Write about your finances
- Write about how you maintain your finances
- Write about time management
- Write about your biggest struggle
- Write about the people who stress you out the most
- Write about the people who make you feel at ease
- Write about the books you read
- Write about your happiest and saddest moments
- Write about your friends and importance of friendship
- Write about your insecurities
- Write about your self-development ventures
- Write about the topics you wish you knew more about
- Write about current news
- Write about new experiments, such as an attempt to develop new habits like becoming a vegetarian for 30 days
- Write essays
- Brainstorm assignments or stories or screenplays
- Write letters
- Get philosophical and attempt to answer question of Life
- Write about your religious or spiritual beliefs
- Write about your political beliefs
- Talk to your favourite fictional characters
- Write about your perfect day-out with family/friends
Excellent list! I’m going to print it out and stick it in the front of my new journal. :-)
Great list! I use a lot of these when I write in my journal; I will print out the list so I can use the ideas I had never thought of until you listed them. Thanks!
Dolly,
I like the broad spectrum of topic ideas you provide here. Two of my favorites are 28 and 29 since people are a vitally important dimension of our lives. It’s important to be more aware of the positives and negatives in relationships and being decisive toward our well being. Your happiest and saddest moments are often great starting points for journal writing since they give you a clue as to what works for you right now. We can learn so much about ourselves with these simple focal points!
I have chosen your post, What Should I Write in My Journal, for the #JournalChat Pick of the Day on 1/14/13 for all things journaling on Twitter; a link will be posted on the social networks, on my blog and website Refresh with Dawn Herring, and in my weekly Refresh Journal:http://tinyurl.com/b8f9bys.
#JournalChat Live is every Thursday, 5 EST/2 PST, for all things journaling on Twitter; our topic this week is Your Journaling: Take Action!
Thanks again for this great list of ideas for our journaling journey!
Be refreshed,
Dawn Herring
Host of #JournalChat Live and Links Edition on Twitter
Author of The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child
Carol,
Great :-) Enjoy, and I look forward to hearing about your new journaling experiments.
Teresa,
Thanks :-) Always great to try new things in journaling.
Hi Dawn,
I agree. Emotionally intense periods often prompt journaling, but that’s why it’s important to also keep that feeling during “normal” periods
Journaling has always felt like keeping a diary to me. Which has had me thinking I need to write about my day. This list changes my thinking and I thank you for that.
Dolly this is a very thorough list, and I think at one time or another I have written about many of these in my journals, and now—since seeing this list—I will revisit some of them!
With your list here, you make it easy for anyone, especially someone new to journaling, to even create a monthly theme around which to write.
Thanks for a great list and lots of ideas!
Margo
Kathy,
That’s a pretty common misconception. Keeping a diary is simply one form, and a basic form at that, of journaling. This is simply a glimpse of what you could do with a journal, so hope you experiment with that.
Margo,
Thank you. I hope that when people do get stuck about what to write in their journal, they can simply use this for quick inspiration.
I literally just bought a journal 2day and used the idea of the picture at the top of the page 4 inspiration. I want fo write and draw in it and my mum got a journal 2. We find ur list very helpful indeed. Thanx.