1.

Choose your kind of journal

A book, where you write with a pen or pencil on paper: Write in a book that is not so pretty
you are afraid to write in it. Keep the size small enough you don't mind carrying it in your
messenger bag, and big enough you can read your handwriting.
Do not try journaling at night if the only paper you have on your bedside table is a bandaid. The
next morning I couldn't read my writing on the bandaid, and the idea I wanted to journal was
lost.
The advantage of pen to paper is you can write without having to be plugged into an electronic
device. You don’t have to worry about a dead battery, and you can write even when the sun is
bright or the airline makes you turn off your electronic devices.
The disadvantage to a paper journal is if you lose the journal and you didn’t make a copy of it,
you have lost all of the writing. But either way, the journal writing helps you pay attention and
record the moments of everyday life that will fade with time otherwise.
Software: There are several software applications on the market you can use to keep a digital
journal. Be sure they sync to the cloud, as you don’t want to lose your entries because you fry
your computer's hard-drive.
Journey and Day One can add photographs and text and export all of your entries into a PDF.
You can also journal in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Scrivener and save your files to a
cloud-based program that will keep your files safe if you lose your computer or pour water on
your keyboard.
2. Date your entry
You think you will remember when it happened, but without a written date, you might forget.
Make it a part of your journal writing routine to date the entry.
3. Tell the truth
The journal is a record of how you felt and what you did. Telling the truth will make you a
reliable storyteller.
If you haven’t cleaned the seven litter boxes for a week, don’t write that you clean them every
day simply because you want your readers one hundred years from now to think you had good
habits.
The beauty of journal writing is that you can record things honestly for yourself that you might
not otherwise record or share.
4. Write down details
Record details like the time, location, who you were with, and what you were wearing. Details
will help bring the memory alive when you record using your five senses.
To this day, if I smell a certain kind of Japanese soup, I can remember vividly the day I flew to
Korea to renew my Japanese visa, only to discover the Japanese embassy was closed for a
traditional Japanese holiday.
5. Write down what you felt
What you were thinking? Were you mad? Sad? Happy? Write down why.
6. Write a lot or a little
A journal entry doesn’t have to be three pages long. It can be a few words that describe what
happened, a few sentences about the highlight of your day, or it can be a short description of an
event from your day, where you describe details to help you remember what happened. What
time of day was it? What sound do you remember?
Your journal entry might be a drawing, a poem, or a list of words or cities you drove through. It
is your journal, and you have the freedom to be creative.
You can use journal writing prompts or simply tap into a memory that floats into your mind.