30 Day Journaling Challenge + Tips for Starting and Keeping a Journal
30 Day Journaling Challenge + Tips for Starting and Keeping a Journal
Do you know what the number one thing I could change about my life would be? In all honesty, I would change how inconsistent I’ve been in my almost 30 years of life when it comes to journaling. There are so many times in my life where I wish I had a journal to look back on so I could reflect on those experiences. Take my parents divorce for instance. I can recall some of the thoughts and feelings but I wish I had actually written them down.
My inability to journal consistently is part of the reasoning behind this post. We’re kicking off a 30 day journaling challenge on September 1st! Now, if you’re reading this and it’s not September 1st, that’s okay. It’s never too late to join this challenge.
The goal of the 30 Day Journaling Challenge is to get ourselves into the habit of actively and routinely journaling. I want you to stop and think about your daily routines. How much time do you spend endlessly scrolling? I know I’m guilty of this way more than I would like to admit. So part of this challenge is to replace some of those mindless activities in our daily routines with something more productive, like journaling!
Don’t know where to start or what to write about? Well, friend, I’ve got you covered. I’ve put together a complete list of 30 different journaling prompts you can work through over the course of the challenge. There’s no order, go by each one as you see them or skip around to whatever prompt is jumping out at you that day.
Here’s the graphic of all the journal prompts, easy for you to share in Instagram stories too (don’t forget to tag me!).
While we’re gearing up for September 1st to get started on this challenge, I’ve pulled some practical tips together to get you really ready for starting this journaling challenge! First, a few questions:
Why do you want to start a journal?
There can be many reasons why you might be looking into how to start a journal. Starting a journal is a great way to document memories, work through personal development, keep your thoughts and schedule organized and so much more. For me, everytime I journal with intention it helps me stay motivated to keep up with it longer. We often see others using social media as a “journal” but I think there’s somethign so sacred and special about working with other forms or intentionally using social media as a journal rather than keeping up with social media trends.
The great thing about journaling is that it is an inherently personal task. That means whatever you want your journal to look and feel like is completely fair game! That’s the beauty of this challenge too. The 30 Day Jouranling Challenge is completely what YOU want it to be. Want your journal to be a creative art journal? Go for it! Want to start a seperate Instagram or maybe a VSCO account for a photo journal? That’s totally rad too!
Which type of Journal is right for you? Choosing the medium that works best for you will help keep you consistent in journaling. I’ve tried a lot of different journaling mediums over the years and honestly my style of journaling depends on what’s going on in my life. One of my favorite ways to journal is through bullet journaling! Bullet journaling has been all the rage on social media in the last few years. Bullet journaling can seem easily overwhelming just by glancing at it on social media but don’t let the pretty layouts and artistic style scare you! Bullet journaling is a great way to combine planning and memory keeping! The best part about bullet journaling is the complete control you have over what it looks like. Here are all of the resources I’ve put together regarding Bullet Journals over the years:
The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Bullet Journal
Why I Started a Bullet Journal
My Favorite Bullet Journal Supplies on Amazon
My Bullet Journal Setup on YouTube
Maybe you’re constently on the go and need a form of journaling that can go with you anywhere. Some form of digital journaling might be the perfect fit for you! I really have enjoyed using the Promptly app over the last year or so when I just want to write but I’m not sure where to go. This app lives on my phone and is so easy to pull up and get started! Another form of digital journaling can be done with an iPad or tablet and pencil. I live for looking at different types of gorgeous digital journals on Instagram but haven’t given this style a go for myself yet.
I already mentioned photo journaling which is something else I’ve tried and really enjoyed. You may remember the photo challenge I started last year. While I didn’t keep up with it I still very much enjoyed all of the memories that were captured that way. Project 365 is another great way to document photo memories!
A few of my favorite journals:
Day One App - This free app is something that I’ve been playing with recently and I’ve really enjoyed having access to a journaling app on my phone. I don’t use it very consistently yet but it’s great for having for those in-the-moment sparks of thought that you want to capture without having to lug around a physical journal. Most of the time I’m using this to write down memories of Jasper and Marlow and our day-to-day adventures.
Promptly Journals - I just purchase two of the Childhood History journals from Promptly to use for Jasper and Marlow because I wanted something tangible to pass along and I love that these journals are guided. These would also make a great gift! Promptly has a ton of other journal options too so definitely check them out if you’re looking for more guided journaling options.
Related:
Aug 27, 2021
30 Day Journaling Challenge + Tips for Starting and Keeping a Journal
Aug 27, 2021
Aug 27, 2021
Jan 15, 2021
How to Start a Bullet Journal for Beginners
Jan 15, 2021
Jan 15, 2021
How to Stay Consistent with Journaling:
Set a reminder on your phone
Make it part of your routine/ritual
Use prompts to help get you started
Luckily for you, I’ve got two of these three things covered for you with the 30 Day Journaling Challenge! So what do you think? Are you in? I’d love to see your journaling so make sure to tag me @darrianchamblee and use the hashtag #MIMJJournalChallenge on Instagram so I can see!
Let’s Connect!
Recent Blog Posts:
Featured
Dec 19, 2021
Realistic Self-Care Tips for Military Spouses
Dec 19, 2021
Military spouses face burdens that most people can’t imagine experiencing in their daily lives. If two days of your week look the same, you’re having a lucky week! Not to mention the constant changes, regularly uprooting your entire lives, etc. military spouses are often the ones in need of the most self-care. In order to be a military spouse, one must be selfless because of the level of sacrifice military life brings. That makes establishing a great self care system so important for military spouses. That’s why I put together this list of self care tips for military spouses that are actually realistic!
Dec 19, 2021
Dec 7, 2021
The Best Cookie Recipes for Your Holiday Cookie Exchange
Dec 7, 2021
I asked on Instagram and boy, did you all deliver! I was in panic mode over how I was going to make 4 dozen different types of cookies for a holiday cookie swap (that I’m no longer attending because military life) so I asked you all on Instagram for your favorite cookies recipes! I also got a few family recipes that I left out but seriously, so sweet of you for sharing.
I got a request to round up the recipe suggestions so I figured I’d plop them into this super simple post for ya. Let me know if you end up trying any of these recipes! The Hot Cocoa Cookies are definitely calling my name.
Dec 7, 2021
Sep 28, 2021
I'm Done Using Motherhood as an Excuse
Sep 28, 2021
There are three things that are always on my goal list.
Wake up earlier
Journal every day
Do more creative writing
These are the three things that every year, without fail, I tell myself I’m going to do. When the kids were born waking up earlier became a way to survive, to wake up before them in order to get anything on my personal to do list done.
Sep 28, 2021
Aug 27, 2021
30 Day Journaling Challenge + Tips for Starting and Keeping a Journal
Aug 27, 2021
Do you know what the number one thing I could change about my life would be? In all honesty, I would change how inconsistent I’ve been in my almost 30 years of life when it comes to journaling. There are so many times in my life where I wish I had a journal to look back on so I could reflect on those experiences. Take my parents divorce for instance. I can recall some of the thoughts and feelings but I wish I had actually written them down.
My inability to journal consistently is part of the reasoning behind this post. We’re kicking off a 30 day journaling challenge on September 1st! Now, if you’re reading this and it’s not September 1st, that’s okay. It’s never too late to join this challenge.
Aug 27, 2021
Aug 1, 2021
Marlow's Birth Story - Positive Induction Birth Story
Aug 1, 2021
I’ve been a little quiet around these parts recently as we adjust to being a family of four. Our sweet girl, Marlow was born on May 7th, 2021 exactly 10 days before her due date. Read the story of Marlow’s birth and my positive induction birth story here!
Aug 1, 2021
May 26, 2021
Infertility + Loss - Morgan's Story
May 26, 2021
As a blogger, I want to be proactive in how I’m using my platforms to bring awareness to issues that many think they may be struggling with alone. So today I am honored to be sharing Morgan with you. Morgan shares her story of Infertility and Loss in today’s guest post.
May 26, 2021
May 12, 2021
How to Handle the Unexpected as a Military Spouse
May 12, 2021
A few weeks ago, my husband and I made a pretty big mistake. We joked about the possibility of him getting deployed this summer. Wouldn’t you know that just a few hours later we learned that that joke was most likely going to be our new reality? With our second baby due literally any day now, this was the last thing we were expecting and wanting to hear. But that’s the thing about military life: it knows how to throw you the unexpected curveballs, especially when you’re least expecting them.
I did not handle the news gracefully. I sobbed, called my mom, and pretty much sent myself into a downward spiral of despair. But after some time to reflect and process the news, I realized that there are much better ways to handle unexpected news as a military spouse. So I figured I would share a few of those with you today. This is basically my step-by-step approach to processing unexpected news as a military spouse. I hope you find it helpful!
May 12, 2021
May 5, 2021
Preparing to Formula Feed From Birth
May 5, 2021
I’ve kind of made it my mission since my first son to share my candid experience as a mom who hated breastfeeding as well as normalizing formula feeding and advocating for maternal medical professionals to consider the mother and mental health and not just endlessly push breastfeeding for 9 months.
So I plan on candidly sharing our experience choosing to formula feed from birth starting with how I’m preparing to formula feed from birth. My goal is to become a resource for others mamas who are struggling with finding information about formula feeding from birth because there’s truly a huge lack of information (and a lot of misinformation) out there about formula feeding.
May 5, 2021
Apr 29, 2021
The 30 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 30
Apr 29, 2021
On Tuesday I rang in my 29th year, stuck inside for the second year in a row, alone with my toddler. While it wasn’t originally the birthday I was envisioning, I realized how special these simple moments can actually be. But since this is the final year of my twenties, I figured I couldn’t let the defining decade pass without doing some sort of bucket list. So, here’s the 30 things I want to do before I turn 30!
Apr 29, 2021
Apr 21, 2021
Apr 21, 2021
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been stationed in Fort Wainwright, Alaska for almost two full years now! We’ve spent two summers and two winters at Fort Wainwright so I felt that I was finally “qualified” enough to start sharing a little bit of information about living at Fort Wainwright. Naturally, I get questions all of the time about what Fort Wainwright is like and whether or not Fort Wainwright is a good duty station. I also get a lot of requests for post guides so I wanted to try and dip my feet into exploring the creation of more informative posts about where we’ve been stationed. I thought we’d keep it simple to start by doing a Fort Wainwright Pros and Cons list!
Apr 21, 2021
Recent Podcast Episodes:
Featured
Aug 6, 2020
S1E7: Intimate Weddings and Ditching Wedding Traditions with Melissa of The Photobrief
Aug 6, 2020
Aug 6, 2020
Jul 29, 2020
S1E6: 6 Things to Do When You're Stuck in the Waiting
Jul 29, 2020
What do you do when you’re feeling stuck? When we’re stuck in a period of waiting, time can feel endless and like it’s moving so slow. With a global pandemic and quarantines happening regularly, 2020 has seemed like one big period of waiting. Between our recent extended deployment and COVID-19, I’ve let myself get wrapped up in the feeling of being stuck. Can you relate? Grab a seat on my virtual couch as we chat about the actionable steps you can take to turn things around when you’re stuck in the waiting. I hope you leave this episode feeling empowered to take on the feeling of being stuck into the second half of 2020. Are you ready? Let’s dive in.
Jul 29, 2020
Jul 22, 2020
S1E5: Facing Deployments and a Global Pandemic as a Military Family with Justin Chamblee
Jul 22, 2020
Jul 22, 2020
Jul 1, 2020
S1E4: How to Thoughtfully Start a Blog that Matters in 2020
Jul 1, 2020
Recently, I celebrated my three year blogging anniversary. I wanted to dedicate today’s episode of the Literally Though podcast to tackling the blogging industry, answering your questions, and giving some advice on thoughtfully blogging in 2020. I’ll be sharing some of my best advice on what you should do before you decide to start a blog, discussing some lessons learned over the years, and even answering your questions about blogging. Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
Jul 1, 2020
Jun 24, 2020
S1E3: Raising Curious Humans Through Montessori with Simone Davies
Jun 24, 2020
The Montessori Method is nothing new and chances are, you’ve seen it around on the internet but under the aesthetically pleasing Instagram pictures and Pinterest boards full of activities, what really is The Montessori Method? Join me this week as I chat with Simone Davies, author of The Montessori Toddler, about all things Montessori and how you can start implementing some of the Montessori Method practices today with your little ones.
Jun 24, 2020
Jun 15, 2020
S1E2: It's Okay to Call Your Mom and Other Advice for the Class of 2020
Jun 15, 2020
Welcome to Literally Though with Darrian Chamblee! Join military spouse, mama, and lifestyle content creator, Darrian Chamblee, as she invites you to grab a seat on her virtual couch to chat honest conversations about everyday life. In this episode, Darrian chats about life after college and shares some advice for the Class of 2020 that she wishes she had received before walking across the graduation stage.
Jun 15, 2020
Jun 15, 2020
S1E1: The Post Grad Leap of Faith that Led Me Here
Jun 15, 2020
Welcome to Literally Though with Darrian Chamblee! Join military spouse, mama, and lifestyle content creator, Darrian Chamblee, as she invites you to grab a seat on her virtual couch to chat honest conversations about everyday life. In this episode, Darrian chats about the time she made the pivotal decision that changed her life and led her to her career working as a civilian for the Army, meeting her husband, and the creation of the online community she has now. She also shares some actionable advice on how to mindfully approach making a big, life-changing decision.
Jun 15, 2020
May 28, 2020
Introducing the Literally Though Podcast with Darrian Chamblee
May 28, 2020
Welcome to Literally Though with Darrian Chamblee! Join military spouse, mama, and lifestyle content creator, Darrian Chamblee, as she invites you to grab a seat on her virtual couch to chat honest conversations about everyday life. From military life to the throes of new motherhood, and everything in between each week you'll leave ignited through the personal stories of Darrian and her guests to find inspiration in every day. Grab a seat and a cup of coffee and let's dive in! Subscribe now for updates and so you never miss a new episode!
May 28, 2020