Weekend Responses: Finding Time for Journaling

I published one blog post last week: How Three Pages of Morning Longhand Has Changed My Life. Some of you reached out to me to express that you felt that your life was too busy to find time to journal, and that doing so first thing in the morning was out of the question.

I wanted to take the time to address this matter specifically and at some length, in part because when you find something that works, you want to shout it from the rooftops, don't you?

Why Should I Make Time for Morning Journaling?
(Source CC BY 2.0)

I'll address the individual concerns (and add to this post later if more concerns arise later on). Each "objection" will have its own section for rebuttal.

"I'm too busy. I can't find time to journal."

You're not too busy. (Trust me on this.)

What you mean is "I would prefer to invest my time in other things."

It could be that the things you'd prefer to invest your time in are important ("I prefer to cook a hot breakfast rather than take the time to write in a journal") or perhaps you're spending time doing things that might better be replaced with journaling ("I prefer to spend my time on Facebook"). Whatever the case, the issue is not that you are too busy: It's that you prefer to invest your time elsewhere.

While this is a legitimate concern (you may "prefer" to go to work rather than journal, or "prefer" to shower rather than journal), time can be managed differently (better) in order to ensure that you can make journaling a priority.

Remember, you give your time to the things that mean the most to you. Shouldn't YOU be worth the investment of your own time?

Journaling May Help to Free Up Time

I also want you to consider that taking the time in the morning to journal may also help to free up time later in the day. When you use your journal to offload the mental and emotional baggage, you receive back the time later in the day that you might otherwise spend "venting" on Facebook, complaining to your friends, or struggling to organize ideas you could have been indexing in your journal.

Since I started journaling, I am more focused (I have attention deficit disorder and am not on medications, so this is a BIG deal for me!), have an easier time generating ideas, and my thoughts are more organized. I experience less mental "jumble" and am more able to concentrate on the things that matter. I'm less irritable and happier.

Whatever else I might have been investing my time in is worth sacrificing to receive the benefits of journaling in the morning.

It WILL make you happier if you do it consistently. If you're like me, you'll still have off days (I had two of them last week), but overall you will find that there is less clutter in your mind, providing time for more productive things.

Trust me, you don't have time NOT to journal in the mornings.

"But I have a lot that HAS to get done in the morning!"

This is a legitimate concern. I understand, because a lot of days, so do I.

There are two simple solutions to this problem.

Wake Up Earlier to Journal

This is the option that I favor, because I tend to be a late sleeper (it's something I'm working on!). If I have a busy morning that is full of child, husband, and breakfast, then getting up before my daughter is up solves the problem. 

If you can't get up earlier (if you're already an early riser or if your children will beat you to the punch no matter how early you rise), there is another solution.

Wait for the Dust to Settle

It might not be possible to journal first thing in the morning. While it's ideal to do a "brain dump" as first thing when you wake up, it might not be possible. Sometimes things happen FIRST THING, and journaling isn't a high priority. Maybe you wake up because a child is sick, or the dog has vomited in your shoes. 

There are always going to be days like this. They aren't a reason not to write. You probably wouldn't skip your shower because you couldn't take it first thing when you rolled out of bed. Would you?

If the morning is hectic, chaotic, and busy -- whether once in a while or every morning -- there's nothing wrong with doing your morning journaling after the dust has settled. 

It's ideal to write FIRST THING when you wake up in the morning, but if that's not possible, the important thing is THAT you write, not WHEN you write. Take the time to do this for yourself and you will reap the rewards of having done so.

"I don't know what I'd write about."

That's the beauty of this type of journaling: It doesn't have to be "about" anything. This is the opportunity to "dump" anything that's on your mind.

Are you worried about how you're going to get it all done today? Put that down in your journal. Angry with your spouse for stealing the covers last night? Put that down in your journal.

This isn't a diary. The purpose isn't to go back and read your journal in years to come. You're not creating a memory-book. You're "dumping" the things on your mind that keep you blocked throughout the day.

Your journal takes the "venting" so that you don't air your dirty laundry on social media or take your moods out on friends and family.

If you seriously can't find even one thing on your mind to write about, write free association. Go from word to word if you have to, but better to go from thought to thought. "I have to do the dishes today. I hate washing dishes. We had steak for dinner last night. Steak's my favorite meal to cook. Maybe we should go to a steakhouse for dinner this week."

This is a valid journalistic style and it will help you to take what's going on inside your mind and let it go.

I'll tell you how to make time for morning journaling. It should be a priority!
(Source CC BY-SA 2.0)

Try Morning Journaling for One Week

I'll admit that when I first started doing this, I wasn't fully committed. I THOUGHT I was, but so many of the other rituals I had committed to fell to the wayside that I've since realized that I didn't expect this to work.

But I wrote every day for the first week, and six out of seven days the second. (It's okay to miss a day once in a while, but remember to get back to it from wherever you are. Don't hesitate or procrastinate!) 

Now I'm headed into my third week journaling. I feel more clear-headed. I'm more focused and more productive. There's more time for the things that I love because the things that need to get done come more automatically. I spend less time thinking and more time doing. 

Maybe it's not all because of morning journaling, but this (morning journaling) is the only habit I have successfully begun to develop in 2018. This leads me to believe that it is largely responsible for my success.

I would love to hear from you about your experiences with this. If you journaled every morning for a week, how did it turn out for you? How did you feel at the end of the week? Are you motivated to continue, or was it too much for you? 

Join in the discussion! Remember to like, pin, share, and comment!
(Source CC BY 2.0)

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, please remember to like our new page on Facebook, share this post, and pin it on Pinterest!