10 Types Of Journals You Should Consider Keeping

Do you want to know something cheaper than going to therapy? Drum roll, please… Journals! I’m a bit of a journal hog myself, but that doesn’t mean that these cheap little goodies can’t be enjoyed in moderation.

My journals all serve different purposes in my life, and that’s what I would like to share with you

The following is a list of all the types of journals I own, and I think you should too.

“Today, I am thankful for…”
I wish I was far better at keeping up with a gratitude log, but the idea is simply fabulous! Especially on days where the world is sitting on my shoulders. I take solace in the fact that I can sit at my desk in the morning, and quickly jot down 10 or 15 little things to be grateful for. It has truly taught me how to take notice of the beautiful and small things happening in my life every day.

All my ideas wrapped into one.
My life would be even more of a hot mess if this journal didn’t exist. This is my writing idea/planning journal. It’s where I jot down all my ideas, give them dates by which to be completed, and do any extensive planning if need be. For the inner control freak, this journal has been an actual angel.

Planning for the week ahead.
I have to have every aspect of my week meticulously planned out to the very last detail. If I don’t, I get easily frazzled. Needless to say, I’m not a “go with the flow” kind of gal. Having a journal that can be used exclusively for my day-to-day planning has proved to be very helpful in keeping me organized and sane.

It’s a good morning.
Every morning, I make sure I am up early enough to give myself 10 minutes in bed to jot down whatever I’m thinking or feeling. Think of it as a detox first thing when you wake up. I don’t like to carry over any negative feelings from the day prior or the night before into my day. So my brief journal in the morning is how I rid myself of any odd or negative feelings.

The boring ‘ole college notebook.
I’m a college student who takes a lot of notes. I always make sure that I have a different journal for each subject, that way I can keep all of my notes organized and in their correct places.

Let’s play 20 questions.
Ah, self-interviews. I simply go to Pinterest and type in self-interviews and a bunch of tips pop up. I love writing down a bunch of questions regarding important topics answer them, and look back on it a year from now to see how much has changed.

Quotable.
I’m a book, movie, and television nerd, so my brain is mostly filled with quotes from movies and books. In order to keep these collected and engraved in my memory forever, I write down every memorable quote that I love into a journal that I can always look back on.

Character studies are the best studies.
I love learning about the fictional and real people that I’ve fallen in love with all my life. When I do these character studies, I keep them in a separate journal that I can dedicate only to characters. I love coming back and adding more, so I always make sure to give this topic its own journal.

Let the river of free thoughts flow free.
I truly believe in free-flowing journals. All this is, to me at least, is giving myself one piece of paper a night. The paper has no prompt, but I tell myself that I have to fill the page with whatever comes to mind. It doesn’t have to make sense and doesn’t have to flow. It just has to be me. I’ve always thought of this as being my subconscious way of talking. It’s my way of saying the things I didn’t think I needed to say.

A personal growth tracker.
I start my personal growth tracker every new year. It’s where I write down my resolutions and the steps I’m going to take to accomplish those goals, and my progress towards them.

While I appreciate all the gifts that writing has given me, journaling was always my first love. It’s how I stay organized, how I appreciate the world around me, and how I get in touch with my inner self. Without a quick journal entry morning and night, I can’t imagine what the world around me would look like. It certainly wouldn’t feel as bright and beautiful as it does to me now.