Let’s Get Started: 10 journals you should write

What you should write about will depend on what you want to get out of your journal. There are no rules

For most people a journal will just encompass a bit of everything. They write about their daily lives and aspirations and their challenges. This is a sound approach, but as you will realise if you read this blog – I take a more targeted approach. As well as my monthly mind-dump notebooks I have a series of journals dedicated to different projects.

Whether you choose to write about all topics in one journal, or write project-based journals the following list should offer a source of inspiration to get you started:

1. CAREER Journal

A career journal is a tool dedicated to managing and recording your career development.

For more information and inspiration you can download the first chapter of our book ‘Prompt: 52 Prompts for Setting up and Writing your Career Journal by signing up to our mailing list or buy the ebook/book in our shop.

 2. WRITING Journal

A writing tool for noting ideas, experiences and inspiration for writers and to help them develop ideas into something useful. It can also be used to simply improve, practice and develop a regular writing habit. Make notes and reflect on your Writing process.

3. BLOGGING Journal

A blogging journal can have all the elements of any other journal you have the only difference is where the focus is. Obviously a blogging journal would focus on your blog or website, your online presence and social media and maybe even your personal brand.

4. BUSINESS Journal

Whether you have a business, are a solopreneur,  have a side hustle or are simply dreaming of what you could do. A journal is a great way to track and encourage progress, to inspire and motivate you and have a place to store all those ideas you don’t have time or the means to do now.

5. TRAVEL journal

Journal while you are travelling to record you experiences. However, you don’t have to be anywhere exotic – you could have a weekend by the sea, a day trip to london or even a family gathering.

6. LETTERS Journal (Relationship Journal)

If you still have you heart set on writing a personal journal. Why not try something a bit different by writing letters you would never send. I find this a great way to keep a relationship journal, as it gives you a very honest approach to dealing with your relationships with close friends and family.

7. HOBBIES Journal

a hobbies or passions journal is a journal dedicated to your hobby, interests or passions – such as baking, cooking, gardening, creative writing, books, films, knitting, fishing. You can use it to not only record your experiences, but also useful information you may have come across.

8. PROMPTS or LIST Journal

Rather than come up with your own inspiring topic. Why not record information based on prompts or lists. We occasionally share prompts and lists that you can use for this purpose.

9. A to Z Challenge Journal

You may have come across the blogging from A to Z Challenge. Two years ago the challenge was what inspired the initial idea of this website. From a journalling perspective you can challenge yourself to write entries with titles that start, with each letter of the alphabet for 26 continuous entries.

10. EXERCISE and HEALTH Journal

Set yourself some goals and track your progress. You can use the journal to improve or maintain your fitness levels, keep track of what you are eating etc. What you will write about and record will of course be determined by your goals.

There are of course endless choices for journal writing, these are just some of my personal favourites. Which do you use or what other journals do you write?  Tell us in the comments below.