Journaling – Thinking on Paper

Journaling is less about “getting things done” and more about “getting things out.” It’s your brain dump, your safe space, your unfiltered thoughts that don’t have to look pretty or make sense to anyone else. If planning is about the future and tracking is about the facts, journaling is about your feelings.

Some folks treat journaling like a daily diary, others use it as therapy-on-paper, and some do it in short bursts when life feels heavy. There’s no one right way. Journaling could be freewriting, bullet points, doodles, prayers, gratitude lists, or even angry scribbles you’ll never look at again.

Here’s the gold: journaling slows you down long enough to listen to yourself. It helps you process emotions, clear mental clutter, and notice what’s bubbling under the surface. And you don’t need fancy pens or a 200-page leather journal. A $1 notebook works just as well.

ROBYNE RECOMMENDS: Journaling is something that I have never been good at. I have a really hard time putting my feelings out there, but a few years ago I started keeping a five-year journal, recording a significant moment in each day and how I felt about it. It was a small space and I think it was not as intimidating as a larger space. It has really helped me to see how other areas of my life are impacted by how I am doing emotionally.

FAITH FOCUS: David journaled—his words are all over the Psalms. He poured out fear, joy, frustration, and praise. Journaling becomes powerful when we use it to process life with God, not just on our own. Sometimes the act of writing is a prayer in itself.

SUMMARY: Bottom line… journaling is thinking on paper. It’s messy, it’s real, and it doesn’t need to impress anyone—including you.