Hello everybody welcome to the video today I’m making a comprehensive how to start journaling Beginners Guide. So if you are new to journaling This video is for you. And I know some of my longtime subscribers also going to watch this video. So if you have any advice for the newbies, please feel free to share in the description box I would really appreciate your guys’s help. I know you are amazing journals yourselves and I know you have great wisdom to share.
So please feel free to comment. Also, if you are not already following me on Instagram, the handle is the journal joy. I post photos from my trips when a journal so if that’s something that interests you, check it out over on Instagram. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. And if you want to see lots more notebook videos, subscribe to my channel.
Alright, let’s get into it. So today I’m going to talk about the three main things when it comes to starting a journal routine. First of all, what do you journal about? And second of all, pick the right journal for you. So I have a few lined up that I’m going to show you in a little bit. And then thirdly, create a journaling habit so that it becomes something that becomes part of your life and then you integrate into your daily routine. All right, so what do you actually journal about? I have had several requests for this video. That’s why I’m making it people will Well, I’m with where to start what to do? Well, first of all, the most important question just sit down maybe with even piece of paper piece of paper and a pen and write down why you want to journal like what do you actually want to get out of it?
What draws you to it? Why are you curious about it, just get clear on it? Is it just you like the act of writing? Does it put you more in the moment? Is it a creative thing for you?
For me personally, it really helps me with mindfulness, like a write down what’s going on in my life. And then I can see how I actually feel about things and detach myself a little bit from my own emotions. So it gives me more clarity about what’s actually going on what I believe about certain circumstances. And just to create a more mindful life and just be more aware of what’s actually going on with inside of me. So it’s, it’s a great tool for self reflection.
Well, if you feel anxious about things, you can also write them down. And then you can dissect them, you can look for solutions. They can all do all this on the page. I also love to journal about beautiful moments when I go on trips, and like I sit on the beach. And I just love describing the moment as the sun hits the water and just just all the emotions that evokes in me and just try to put that in writing.
But something else I love to do. Do you want to write about like gratitude? Do you want to use a journal as a tool to organize your life? That’s also possibility? So just sit down?
Think about it. What do you want to get out of it? What about what aspect of writing Are you drawn to so I have a few suggestions more specifically.
The Artist Way
So if you want to get into a journaling routine, it’s more artistic side to explore yourself better, I highly recommend the book The artists way where you will write what’s called Morning pages. So every morning you sit down and write three pages, and it is a great way to actually get you into a journaling routine.
So I’m going to link all of the recommendations, everything I’m showing you today, everything’s going to be in the description, I’m going to link to everything so you can check it out later and see if anything, interests you. It’ll all be down there. So that is my first recommendation is the artists way.
Rustico 5 Year Journal
- AMERICAN CRAFTSMANSHIP: Handsewn by our expert artisans using strong, Irish waxed linen. Proudly made in the USA.
- DURABLE: Handcrafted from authentic, top-grain cowhide leather for years of use. Thick, rough-cut pages preserve your entries. This journal is designed to join you on any journey.
- LEAVE YOUR MARK: We are inviting you to use your Rustico leather products and notice the unique marks they receive over time as you leave your mark.
- TELL YOUR STORY: Everyone has a story to tell, but sometimes it can be hard to begin. This journal helps you start on any day of the year. No need to wait until January 1st.
- DIMENSIONS: 5.5" x 7" with 400 pages
So the second thing is, if you’re a little bit overwhelmed, so was just free writing, you could start a journal that has actually journal prompts in it a great thing like this one, for example is from the company, Rustico to five year journal. So here you get a journal prompt for every single day.
And it’s a five year journal. So it’s for five years. For example, August 3, a decision I need to make. And then you can write about this, just a few lines. So it’s just a minute or two.
It doesn’t take up too much of your time. Something I listened to recently, and something that worries me how I felt about today, just random journal prompts one word, I would describe myself with how my career makes me feel. So it is a way to explore yourself and your life better and to get to know yourself better without taking up too much of your time. So they always know what you’re going to write about. And what’s also nice about these type of journals, you will see how you change over the years or you actually do change where you evolve where you still stay the same.
So it’s a nice way of just keeping track of your life a little bit and what’s going on. So recommend this as well. So that was the Rustico 5 year journal again, link will be down in description.
5 Minute Journal
- Cultivates Gratitude and Mindfulness - Journaling allows you to appreciate your life more for at least 5 minutes a day. The 5 Minute Journal for women and men is specially crafted for positive manifestation and improved confidence as you get on with your day.
- Chic Daily Journal With Prompts - Start your day with appreciation and end it with deep reflection using our wellness journal. This positivity journal has enough pages for 6 months. It features thoughtfully designed prompts, such as weekly challenges, gratitude, daily highlights, inspirational quotes, daily affirmations, and self-reflection.
- Easy-to-Follow Guided Journal - Donโt know where to start? No worries! Our five minute gratitude journal provides writing cues to set the flow. The motivational journal is undated, so you can begin jotting down your thoughts whenever youโre ready.
- Premium-Quality Aesthetic Journal - These journals with prompts are the epitome of quality. They come in different colors to suit your style. Each personal journal is made using recyclable, sustainably sourced paper with a natural linen fabric cover.
- Ideal Gratitude Gifts for Your Loved Ones - Everybody deserves a life of peace and happiness. So let your friends and family experience the serenity of a grateful heart and mind. Give them a mindfulness journal that they can use daily.
Another thing is and I don’t own it personally it is the 5 minute journal but I have been doing 5 minute journaling for years now and it is also something that has added a lot to my life. So I wrote down two journal prompts in the Five Minute Journal, but I will link the actual journal that has all these questions for every single day down into this description, so you can check it out as well.
So with the five minute journal, you sit down in the morning and you write down today, I’m grateful for three things, what would make today great than daily affirmations I am like, I’m abundant, I’m healthy, and whatever comes to mind, and then three amazing things that happened today. So this section you do at night, you sit down one more time before you go to bed, or in the evening dinner, whatever. So amazing things did happen today. And then how could I have made today even better. So it is also a quick way to get into a journaling routine, is that five minute journal takes about five minutes a day, it’s another great way to just start journaling without feeling too overwhelmed because it gives you an outline of what to actually write about.
LeStallion
- ๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐น-๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ faux leather soft cover & brown paper edging makes for a classy, stylish look that others will truly envy. Sturdily built with extra vegan leather thickness, tight string binding & improved glue-ing, so you can have the highest quality, durable a5 luxury notebook. You'll have a peace of mind carrying it in your bag, a sense of pride flaunting it in public, and excitement using it for daily journaling.
- ๐ ๐๐ข๐ก'๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ! We battle tested our extra thick 120 gsm wide ruled paper against the most intense fountain pens & markers, to ensure your writing will leave no annoying bleed-through or ghosting! Made also from environmentally wood-free material, our sexy ivory lined paper fountain pen notebook will SURELY SEDUCE the most hardcore pens in your collection.
- ๐ ๐ก๐ข ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฝ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ wasted your years with slow professional progress. Experience the value of a high end notebook, one that can inspire you to perform better every day. Packed with features like table of contents, numbered pages, back cover pocket, unique metallic bookmark, high quality paper; all empowering to bring out YOUR BEST WORK and ideas! A nice women or men journal for writing.
- ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐, ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ gift to someone special. We can also do gift wrapping! Unlike other short term amusement presents, this large 216 page brown learher journal is designed to last a good 9+ months, all whilst boosting ones personal development, be it for small diary / daily jounaling, self care, devotion etc. They will be so thankful of you for this gift!
- ๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ก, ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ achieving your greatness. Our symbolic horse logo commands authority in front of employers, clients or co-workers, making them excellent to use for work or office. Best journals for men or women planning their life to the next level. Raise your note books standards, and in turn raise the momentum towards reaching your goals and the success you deserve, SOONER. Try LeStallion today.
Let’s see what else if you’re, and if you want to use by the way, if you are interested in this notebook, I talked about notebooks later, this is the LeStallion Notebook. Again, link will be down below.
Bullet Journal
- BULLET JOURNAL: Leuchtturm1917 brings to you a journal with all the quality of a Leuchtturm journal formatted with the Bullet journal method, Track the past, order the present, design the future
- INKPROOF PAPER: Leuchtturm1917 A6 pocket notebooksโ haveโ 80โ gsmโ paper,โ which is equatable to 60lb stock, and hasโ 185โ numberedโ pages
- OPENS FLAT: This thread-bound notebook opens flat so you can write and draw at all angles without compromising the integrity of the spine
- FINE DETAILS: Secure your content with the elastic enclosure band and inner gusseted pocket. 3 page markers are included for easy access to specific pages
- QUALITY SINCE 1917: Experience and consistency are important requirements for quality. Quality gives ideas a solid foundation on which they can develop. We are convinced that small details can make a big difference
If you want to use journaling as a way to organize your life, you can start bullet journaling. So with bullet journaling, you write down every day, your appointments, your to dues, also notes from the day like something that occurred or you can do a little journaling prompt, it’s a free form of still journaling without a planner. But it is pretty close to having a planner essentially create your own planner.
Bullet Journal Guide
I personally do not bullet journal, but I will link it down below. And you can also just look on YouTube, it’s called bullet journal bullet journaling guide. And there’s great videos and how to actually start bullet journaling. So that’s another thing that I would highly recommend. And then the other thing is with how to what to journal about, some people like to create art, and then to drawings to actual artwork, mixed media use, you can use watercolors and just get more creative, or they make scrap journals, we actually like cut out pieces of like magazines and papers and textures and you just glue it in a journal.
And it’s another way to make art just look up scrapbooking. You can also find great videos on that if you want to get more on the artistic creative side, and visual creativity versus just plain writing. And was also as with writing, you can also get into the technical side of writing the actual penmanship. For example, using a fountain pen and really working on your handwriting, and do that side of journaling, where you get independent ship. So I am not a great fountain pen user, I use it every once in a while if he had a pilot metropolitan, which we’ll talk about again later.
There are great YouTube channels on penmanship and fountain pens, just look up, you know, how to use a fountain pen and all these things. And if you can, you can definitely get into that as well and then just actually work on the technical side of your writing and your penmanship skills and it’s also something a lot of people really enjoy. So but me I’m just playing journaling, doing mindfulness work in my journal and just scrubbing with trips and stuff like that. So but just another suggestion for you.
So these are my main suggestions for what to journal about. Again, for the people that have been longtime subscribers, please leave all your suggestions and ideas in the comments if you’re watching this video, I’d really appreciate it. Yeah, so that was the first section so the second part is pick the right journal for you. And I’m just going to say it like really plainly the best journal for you is the one that you actually use. So let’s figure out what goes into that.
Again, of different journals here and options and suggestions.
Moleskin Pocket Journal
- CLASSIC MOLESKINE NOTEBOOK: Moleskine classic notebooks are perfect notebooks for writing journals, a daily diary, or note taking in college classes or meetings. Moleskine notebooks are beloved by travelers & bullet journalists for their slim design.
- DURABLE COVER & ELASTIC CLOSURE: Hold writing projects & notes in your Moleskine notebook with an elastic closure band & inner storage folders. Leather-like classic Moleskine cover & thick, ivory paper pages are perfect for writing with fountain pens.
- GIFT QUALITY NOTEBOOKS: Moleskine planners, journals and notebooks come in hardcover or softcover and colors like black, red, blue, green and brown. The binding and cover have a durable finish, designed for daily journaling, writing and sketching.
- DELUXE QUALITY PAGES: Moleskine's thick, ivory paper pages in a hardcover Moleskine notebook, softcover Moleskine notebook, cahier or volant journal, or Moleskine planner are perfectly textured for writing with a ballpoint pen, fountain pen, or pencil.
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identityโboth physical & digital. We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks.
Let’s get into it. First of all, the size do you need a journal to go with you everywhere you go. If you need something really small and portable, you could for example use the moleskin pocket notebook moleskin is classic journaling journal brand it’s really famous. Tons of people use moleskin the paper quality is not that great but if you just use a ballpoint pen you will have no issues with a moleskin pocket notebook and a standard size.
Medium. This is an A five size so this is about the standard size you see the size of my hand and then with a pen. Most people use medium size notebooks in my experience, so it’s still portable but it gives you more a little bit more writing surface here. With the size this is a live demo show you because All my writings are in there, it’s a lawyer to noise and seeps in. And this is like the journal I would recommend for most people I love this brand, it’s has better paper quality than the moleskin you can use a fountain pen in it as well if you want.
It is 80 gsm paper. And the GSM is gram per square meter it is how heavy the paper is. And usually the heavier the paper, the more it’s fountain pen friendly. And you can use watercolors in it if you go to 100 120 GSM. But it also just depends on the actual quality of the paper.
So not every like thick paper is automatically better or every thin paper is horrific, just also really thin. Paper that’s excellent for fountain pens is Tomoe River Paper, which only 52 GSM. So I don’t want to confuse it too much with it. But this is like my go to all around journal that I recommend for beginners, it’s to like too much and seeps in, I will link it again in the description below. It has a nice feel to the paper to something that’s important to me as well is how to pick fields and as a nice softness to isn’t as smooth but not too slick.
So you get a smooth writing experience. Because for me when I get into the mode, I want to have an effortless writing experience. I don’t like when paper is rough. Like sketch paper, you have a lot of like graininess to it. So you have to work harder when you write or is this, the pen just flows more effortlessly over the page.
Quo Vadis Habana
- Soft cover - leathery feel - Secured with an elastic closure
- Smooth satin finish great for fountain pen use
- Ivory - acid-free paper
- Feature 80 sheets of Clairefontaine blank ivory paper
- Sewn binding is strong and flexible
And if you want really slick paper, you go something like this is Quo Vadis Habana. it’s a little bit bigger. So this is also depending on how much writing space you want. Do you want a lot of like, do you want to write a lot of volume? And you need a little bit of a bigger journal because otherwise you fill this up in a couple of weeks.
So you see the differences between a pocket and this one? Well, again, this is called the Quo Vadis Habana. I’m gonna link it down below. And I personally use this as my morning pages. So I filled up three pages every morning for a while when I worked through the artists way that I mentioned earlier.
I used this and it has excellent paper, it’s great for fountain pens, it has slickness to it, that’s really nice, and get a really smooth writing experience. So these are like the Go to’s.
Epica Leather Journal
And then you can go all the way all the way up to these absolutely gorgeous handmade Italian Leather journals from Epica, these are absolute premium journals. I totally love those. See the brand.
Again, I will link them down below. I also have a discount code for them if you want to pick one of these up there. I know price is on the higher side, but I think definitely worth it. And the last your lifetime and they are also refillable. So you can get a more affordable refill for these and just keep using them over and over again.
So yeah, slide here. And then small details, do you want line notebook Do you want graph or dot grid actually didn’t pull out a dot grid, I don’t use dot grid as much. And there’s just something you’ll learn over time. But you want a blank page features that can express yourself freely. Some people like to have the guides with the lines.
So you don’t get as messy with it. That’s again, a personal preference, what type of ruling you want, again, blank lines, dot grid or graph. So again, something to play around with here. And just something to ask yourself and just you know, just start using one and then get a different kind later, like start out with a line one or blank one and you can dry dot grid and see which one works the best for you. And it’s just it’s also trial and error.
Composition Notebook
- Composition notebook with 100 sheets of paper (56 gsm weight paper stock; 92% brightness); 4-pack of assorted marble colors
- College-ruled format (9/32-inch) promotes neat, even lines of legible writing
- Sturdy front and back covers (20 pt. white cardstock) protect the paper and double as a firm surface for writing against
- Printed quick-reference info on inside covers (schedule table and standard weight and measurement conversion chart)
- Sewn binding keeps pages securely attached; paper measures 9.8 by 7.5 inches
And what’s also the fun of it with journals just always get to try a new one. But if you’re really intimidated with these notebooks, because you don’t want to mess up the page because they were expensive and whatnot. Just grab a composition notebook, like the dollar really cheap. So if you messed it up, or if you wrote it in right, I just throw it in the trash not feel bad about having wasted any money. That’s also something to consider if you know this one’s from Big Lots here in the US.
So super cheap. And yeah, so if you’re intimidated by filling up a notebook, then just start small start with something like this and then work your way up to one of these are even like these gorgeous leather notebooks. I personally see a notebook as a companion where I just have it with me it’s like like I was not like a friend. It sounds cheesy but just something that you bond with because it holds your thoughts and what’s going on with your life and your memories and your treasures. So for me, I love a really nice good notebook.
And then again, I talked about the paper quality. So the thicker the paper, usually you have less ghosting and bleeding. And ghosting is when you can see what’s been written on one side back here on the other side. So because this is at least daily notebook, which I’m also going to link below, you see is 100 gs M’s, it’s slightly thicker. But then you don’t see any ghosting, like as much from what’s been written on the other side.
So you can barely see here. And then when you take something like a moleskin, which is only 70 GSM, I’m sorry to sounds coming in here. But I don’t want to restart your journal here you can see a lot more ghosting compared to this thicker paper. And then with the fountain pen, you see bleed through, which means you see the ink actually coming through the page. So that’s why I don’t think moleskin is fountain pen friendly paper in addition to the paper is thinner.
And I like the feel of thinner paper than thicker paper, but I don’t love the print through so and then. So if you get into using a fountain pen, you have to be more mindful of what kind of paper you use to get a better writing experience. And I have tons and tons of videos and reviews of all kinds of different notebooks on my channel. So feel free to check those out. And see which ones strike your fancy and I do writing samples in all my reviews, and you can see how fountain pen friendly they are and then pick one of them.
- Ballpoint Pen: Our black pens combine the smooth, vivid writing of a gel pen with the quick-drying, smudge-resistant properties of a ball point ink pen
- uni Super Ink: Water- and fade-resistant ink helps you compose long-lasting, high-quality documents you can archive; Our ink pens offer protection against water, fading, and fraud
- Quick-Drying Technology: Our quick-drying black pen ink resists smudging and smearing, making this black pen ideal for left-handed writers
- Quality Construction: A soft textured body makes these writing pens ultra-comfortable and smooth to write with; A convenient clip ensures that your favorite ink pen is always at hand
- Superior Performance: Our innovative black ink pens are great for all of your personal and professional writing needs
So just browse on my channel and start looking around. And so in terms of what pen to use, because to me pen is also important for journaling. But for me the the action notebooks more important, some people all about the pen, and that’s why they use fountain pens, my go to all around pen that works literally in every journal is the Uniball Jetstream one one again, put it down below in the description as well. So it’s super cheap. It’s a hybrid pen between a ballpoint and a belief, gel pen.
So it’s a hybrid ink, which has a really smooth ink flow, again, you get a really smooth writing experience, it doesn’t smudge, or depend doesn’t just give out and then you know, just you know, just you shouldn’t actually be aware of the pen when you write shouldn’t give you any trouble. And if you want to look into getting a fountain pen, this is my recommendation for fountain pens, only about $20. It’s a pilot metropolitan with a medium nib, and then you can buy some ink for it and I can get a little cartridges or just buy ink and fill it up. And the ink that you buy lasts a lifetime if you buy a little bottle, or at least for me because I don’t use it that much. So great fountain pen for beginners.
- Pilot's sleek Metropolitan Collection signature pens
- nest quality at a mid-range price
- Medium nib
- Brass barrel with stainless accents
- POWER TO THE PEN: Pilot makes exceptional writing instruments to suit all your needs. We have fountain, ballpoint, retractable, erasable & gel ink pens, whiteboard markers & more for every writing style.
But I am not a fountain pen experts. So if you want to get into penmanship and found pens, look for YouTube channels that solely talk about fountain pens, several really great ones out there. So those are my pen recommendations. Again, and then last but not least going to check my notes here. Most important is also the Create a journaling habit.
And what’s really, I would like to say here is Please Please do not make journaling a chore it should be a pleasure and fun and you should actually enjoy it and not just have it be something on your to do list. Another thing to do so it should really be for the joy of it and for just Yeah. Because you love what you what you do and not because it’s on your to do list. Okay, gotta you know drill for five minutes between eight and nine. Whatever, you know what I mean?
Conclusion
So and so my advice for you start small, start with a few minutes a day don’t try to write a novel every single day you’ll get all ramped pretty quickly and then you just probably give up on it. And then also decide what you kind of want to journal about do you want to just write down your thoughts? Do you want to keep track of what you did in a day do you want to gratitude or any of the suggestions I mentioned with like these type of journals with job prompts, and just get clear on that and then just start small. That’s what I would say. And also have a journal where you can see it so you always are reminded of actually using it for example, if you want to write first thing in the morning or last thing at night before you get to go to bed have it next to bed on your nightstand or it’s visible and easily accessible with a pen of course so just grab it and start writing and also if you want to ride through in a day, carry it with you.
If you want to go a lot put it get a smaller one and put it in your bag or purse backpack and just have it on use. We can Just you know, pull it out when you feel like writing, but just jot down some notes about what’s going on and what you want to remember later. And then the other thing is try to find it with an already existing habit. For example, I have my coffee in the afternoon between three and four. And then when I have my coffee, I do some writing.
For example, it could do it, get up in the morning and brush your teeth can even write in the bathroom for two minutes while you brush your teeth or right after you brush your teeth. Or if you take public transport, some of you still might, despite what’s going on in the world, and you on the train every day, you can use your 20 3040 minutes on the train, or you actually pull out your journal and write so if you tied to habits that you already have in your life, you will make it easier to remember and then just, you know, create an additional habit out of your journaling routine. Or, you know, while you like wait for your kids, picking them up from soccer practice or actually waiting for a bus or train just you know, just tied to something that you already do in your life. All right. So these are my recommendations for how to start journaling.
If you have any questions please leave me a comment below. I’ll be happy to answer them. As I said, if you want to check out more notebook videos, there’s tons on my channel feel free to subscribe to my channel. If you enjoyed this video and have found it helpful. Please give it a thumbs up and thank you so much for watching.
