Stuck with racing thoughts? This timeless practice still works

What do you think of when you hear the word “Journaling”?

Something that people with too much time do?

Or maybe you’ve heard about people using regularly writing to get things out of their heads, reflect on progress or issues, and stay more even-keeled.

Regardless of what you think about it, there’s many benefits to a regular writing habit of any sort - and today we’re going to talk about journaling, especially how you can do it effectively as well as some tips to help you start and get more from it.

Being Effective With Your Journaling

To journal effectively, consistency is key. It’s true with many other areas of productivity and improvement and it’s no different here.

Journaling consistently turns it into an autopilot habit, making it easier to review your thoughts and track progress over time. This retrospective look helps you see your actual experiences and insights, not just your memory’s version.

If you have a hard time making it stick, add it on to another habit like your morning coffee or reading. This can also help by giving yourself an established “time slot” in which to do it.

Next, consider using prompts to add variety, especially if you're unsure what to write.

Prompts can be anything from what you’re grateful for, to what you learned yesterday, or what’s working well right now.

Being effective with your journaling means you are starting your day with a particular advantage—focusing your mind by several potential methods:

• Getting rid of the random thoughts or ideas bouncing around

• Actually writing about what you want or need to do

• Transforming those loose thoughts into more concrete ideas by writing them down

This Week’s Favorite

A Bit More On Prompts

No, we’re not talking AI prompts that you give ChatGPT…although you could use ChatGPT to help come up with prompts.

If you’re struggling with the blank page while journaling, you’re not alone. Many people come across this, especially when trying to build a journaling habit.

Using prompts can make it easier, helping you overcome the “blank page” challenge and stay consistent.

Some simple prompt examples are:

• What are two things you’re grateful for today?

• What did you learn yesterday?

• What are you avoiding?

• What is going well and why?

• What did you enjoy most about yesterday?

• What’s your favorite memory right now?

Adding 1-3 of these to your journaling template can help you get clarity, encourage reflection, and build a sustainable journaling practice which is what we’re after.

Looking for more prompts? I’ve got 2 good options for you:

1. Use this handy prompt generator I created recently: https://www.reflectioncentered.com/

2. Sign up for a list of prompts and journal advice here: https://news.productivity.academy/c/journal

One quick question 👋

I love hearing from readers, and I’m always happy to hear feedback from active subscribers. How am I doing with the Productivity Academy newsletter? Is there any content you’d like to see more or less of? Which parts of the newsletter (or articles, or podcast) do you enjoy the most?

Hit reply and say hello, happy to hear from you!

P.S. Looking for resources to improve your productivity? Check out the tools I use right here.