1. Family Journals

I know of parents who keep a separate journal for each child and gift it to them when they’re older. When my firstborn came along, I had the intention of doing just that but taking care of a little human put memory-keeping on the backburner.

A simpler, more satisfying solution to this was a family journal. Our family journals contain a collection of significant family events, funny quotes from the children (and adults!), ephemera from our little adventures and lots of photos. Granted most of it is from my perspective, but as the stories are all about our shenanigans, they do not disappoint. Contributions of notes and pieces of art from our kids all help to cement the little moments of family life frequently lost in the commotion of the daily one.

2. Travel Journals

Travel journals have become one of the most popular journals to keep and understandably so. No travel adventure is complete without some sort of souvenir or record to remind us of our unique experiences. These journals help make vivid the details of what would otherwise be faded memories.

Whether you decide to keep a different journal for each destination or journals with multiple adventures inside, get started the moment you book your trip. You can write down wish lists of places to visit and things you look forward to experiencing. Travel tickets, entry tickets, brochures and postcards are only some of the items you will collect along the way. Don’t forget to also pick up maps and interesting ephemera from each of the places you visit. All these make wonderful reminders and can be housed safely in your travel journal when you return. Paired with detailed descriptions on the places, food and activities you did and you have yourself a wonderful keepsake to look back on in the future.

3. Gratitude Journals

Many positive events happen to us as we go through our day, but are quickly forgotten or sometimes, even go unnoticed. For this reason, keeping a gratitude journal can be an uplifting experience as you pause and identify things you can be grateful for. Gratitude lists are known to be so impactful that space is frequently reserved for them in other types of journals and planners. If you only have space for one journal in your life, let it be this one. It is a relaxing and simple practice, taking only a few minutes of your time each evening, yet its positive effects on your overall well-being become apparent almost immediately.

In each entry, list down 5 good things you experience through your day. Record little triumphs and simple joys in specific detail and explain why they made you happy. By training your mind to focus on the good in everything, you gain new perspective on what is important to you and what you truly appreciate in your life. Make it a daily habit and watch your spirit soar!

4. Interest and Hobby Journals

Do you have a green thumb? Are you an avid reader or love cooking? Whatever your interests may be, a hobby journal will help you store all the pertinent information in one place for easy referral. Gardening journals are an example of this. In them, you can keep notes on the plants you grow, their water and soil preferences, your seed catalogue and that wonderful organic pest concoction you just learnt about. Recipe journals are great for chronicling recipes you’ve tried, while fitness and health journals track your journey to a healthier you. Some hobbies and interests turn into passions over the years and documenting these chapters will remind you of your growth, achievements and how far you’ve come.

5. Bullet Journals

Mainly used to plan and prioritize your goals, bullet journals track and break each goal down to manageable steps, allowing you to more efficiently utilize your time to reach each one. While there are many digital alternatives, a paper based planner is able to give you an all-in-one bird’s eye view of your work commitments, family responsibilities, social life and goals. These journals are highly customizable to your requirements and lifestyle. You can incorporate gratitude spreads, trackers for hobbies and so much more. If you feel overwhelmed with tasks and expectations, a bullet journal will help put everything in perspective and allow you to tackle each one with peace of mind.

6. Idea Journals

Ideas are fleeting and some of the best ones appear out of the blue. An idea journal kept close at hand can capture these bursts of unexpected genius and make sure you don’t lose any of them. There’s nothing worse than coming up with a brilliant idea in the middle of a party, a phone conversation or while trying to fall asleep, and having nowhere to note it down. Putting your ideas down on paper, however insignificant they may seem helps organize your thoughts and actions. In times when inspiration is lacking, these journals can be a great resource. Many writers in the past carried small notebooks around for this very reason.

You can choose to have different journals for each subject or, if you’re like me, combine a variety of them into one. When keeping more than one journal, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to write in all of them every day. Each one will serve a different function in your life and they will all enrich it in some way. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, keeping even one of these journals will bring you immense joy. Happy journaling!

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1 Choose Your Tools Carefully

In any journaling endeavour, your most important tools will be your notebook and pen. While any plain notebook will suffice, there are a few details you may want to consider when choosing the right one for you.

Pick a notebook size you can easily carry around in your bag. On the days you want to journal on the go, you’ll be glad you took this into consideration, as over time, you’ll find that your journal has quite literally grown with you. There’ll be occasions when you don’t have your journal on hand. Jot down short notes on whatever you can find (receipts, scrap paper, etc) or add it into your phone’s note-taking app to refer back to later when you get the chance.

If you want your journals to last, select ones made with acid-free paper. Strong acids used in modern paper production cause the paper to easily break down. Most decent bookstores nowadays carry a good selection of bound notebooks containing acid-free pages that will stand up to the test of time. Plus, the processes used in manufacturing acid-free paper are more environmentally friendly, producing less contaminant by-products compared to the general versions.

Whichever notebook you commit to, it should be one that inspires you to continue filling its pages, as it will be your loyal companion throughout your journalling journey.

2 Handwrite your entries

There is something about putting pen to paper that creates an emotional connection to what you are writing. Everybody’s handwriting is different. When used together; big and small sentences, curly and straight strokes all work together to reflect emotions in a very intimate way.

Digitally typed text is also typically void of corrections and edits done when adjusting the text. Keeping this visible opens up a window to your thoughts; giving the reader a much closer connection with you and your emotional state at the time of writing.

Did you know? The physical act of writing with a pen and paper forces the brain to multitask in ways that digitally typing text does not. Your brain has to simultaneously recall letters and words you write, decide on what to write, while at the same time, instruct your hand to put those words down on paper. Many studies have shown the exercise of writing to be an excellent mode of keeping your brain active in the long term, so get writing!

3 Highlight the most impactful events

In the early days of starting a journal, you may be all too eager to document every single detail that happens throughout your day, but that could easily lead to a journalling burnout. Make a conscious decision to only highlight the most memorable events of your day or week and make them the focus of your journal entries.

Snippets of a conversation and mementos from a particular event or trip all help to make your entries more cohesive and interesting. With enough information put down, you’ll find re-reading your journal 10 years from now as enjoyable as reading the chapters of your favourite book, if not more.

4 Get snapping

Photos speak a thousand words and nothing describes a memory better than a well-captioned picture! With our cameras now ever ready to take high quality photos and the advent of compact personal photo printers, adding photos into our journal entries has never been easier.

Of course, you may end up with a hundred photos to choose from. This is where you’ll need to take some time to choose the ones that really convey the emotions and memories you’ll want to come back to in the future.

For best results and longevity, print your photos on high quality archival paper. Developed with long-lasting vibrancy in mind, these age with minimal yellowing and fading, making sure your efforts don’t go to waste.

5 Enjoy yourself

There are no rules in journalling. Most journal entries only see the light of day when in the presence of the author and those they choose to share it with. Write freely and without judgement and you’ll soon find your journal to be the gift that keeps giving back.

While I use my journal mainly as a memory keeper, it has become more than just a documentation of my life. In it is my creative playground, where trials and errors are made and improved upon. In this highly-digitized era of computers and smartphones, my journal is a welcome respite.

Whatever the reason that you choose to start a journal, allow yourself the freedom to get messy and make mistakes. Have fun! At the end of the day, your journal is a reflection of you at that point in your life, so make it as honest as possible, and the rewards will be well worth the effort.

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