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.
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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!
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