Summary

This article introduces four types of journals to help readers start journaling: Bullet Journals, Creative Dump Journals, Personal Journals, and Gratitude Journals.

Abstract

The article begins by addressing readers who own journals but rarely write in them or collect pens without using them. It then presents four types of journals to help readers shape a journaling practice. The first type is the Bullet Journal, a creative and flexible way to plan and organize one's schedule. The article provides a link to a how-to video by the creator of the Bullet Journal method, Ryder Carroll. The second type is the Creative Dump Journal, which allows users to jot down ideas and combat anxiety. The third type is the Personal Journal, where one can document their life events and reflect on their thoughts and feelings. The fourth type is the Gratitude Journal, which encourages users to acknowledge positive aspects of their lives daily. The article concludes by stating that readers do not have to choose just one type of journal and that the benefits of keeping a journal will motivate them to continue the practice.

Opinions

Bullet journals offer a fun and creative way to plan and organize one's schedule.
Creative dump journals can help combat anxiety by providing a space to jot down ideas and thoughts.
Personal journals allow users to reflect on their thoughts and feelings and document their life events.
Gratitude journals encourage users to acknowledge positive aspects of their lives daily.
Readers do not have to choose just one type of journal and can maintain multiple journals simultaneously.
The positive benefits of keeping a journal will motivate readers to continue the practice.
The article recommends a how-to video by Ryder Carroll, the creator of the Bullet Journal method, to help readers get started with bullet journaling.

4 Types of Journals to Get You Started

Photo by Hope House Press — Leather Diary Studio on Unsplash

Do you own journals but never write in them?

Do you collect pens, which you seldom use?

Are you a random note jotter?

If you’re looking to shape a journaling practice, here are four types of journals to get you started:

Bullet Journal

Bullet journals, also known as (bujo), are a fun way to keep track of your schedule and plan your year. Bullet journals leave the design options to the user and allow for creative experimentation.

There is no wrong way to set up a bullet journal, but there are numerous options for tailoring spreads for your personal needs.

YouTube has thousands, if not millions, of how-to videos about bullet journaling. However, the video that got me started was from the creator of the bullet journal method, Ryder Carroll.

Check it out.

I warn you now once you go down this rabbit hole, getting to the other side may take longer than you think. I’m still finding my way through the tunnel, and I don’t see an end in sight.

Creative dump journal

For years, I scribbled ideas on blank sheets of loose-leaf paper, random scrap paper, or receipts. There was nothing I wouldn’t jot a note down on. The problem was having a bunch of random scribbles all over the place without order.

Creative dump journals allow you to get everything out of your head. I use it to combat my anxiety because I tend to have a lot of things on my mind. Sometimes I fear I won’t get to everything or that I might forget my ideas.

Having one place to purge various ideas and keep track of them is beneficial to rid your mind of clutter.

Whenever I find myself in a creative slump, it’s convenient to open a journal and find concept ideas from the past. It also ensures all my odd brainstorms have a place to live until I have time to bring them to life.

Personal Journal

The personal journal is the most common type of diary. I discovered this type of journaling in grade school. This journal is where you get to star as the main character in your story.

Whatever’s on your mind, the personal journal is the perfect place to put the words. Some people enjoy documenting monumental moments in their lives. In contrast, others wind down from their days by recounting the small things.

When using this type of journal, it’s best to write without a filter, and to explore your feelings, interpretation of events, and lessons learned.

We may intellectually understand that, as humans, we grow over time, but having books of your reflections over decades is a pretty cool life-affirming experience.

I still have my journals from middle school onwards, and although at times I cringe, there’s value in being able to jump into the mind of your younger self.

Gratitude Journal

Sometimes it’s easy to slip into a dark place and remain there if things aren’t going our way. Gratitude journals force you to acknowledge the positive aspects of your life and jot them down.

Each day, there’s something in your life to be grateful for, and recognize these things.

You can be grateful for your health, moments, opportunities, lessons, or people, to name a few things.

However, if you struggle with gratitude ideas, check out these 50 prompts to get you through.

No rule says you have to choose only one journal. I have a few myself that I write in regularly.

If you’re new to journaling, I’d say you can’t go wrong with maintaining any of the following:

Bullet journals

Creative dump journals

Personal journals

Gratitude journals

Whichever one you choose, do so with an open mind and commitment to show up.

After a while, you’ll find that the positive benefits of keeping a journal will be enough to continue your journaling practice.

Happy writing!