It can be hard putting thoughts into words on a page. In journaling, there’s no one-size-fits-all technique, not even for the stoics. Knowing what to write and how to write it takes time and practice – in the end, it’s what feels right for you.
In this post, I’ll share my process for how I put together my own journal entries, which in turn, will hopefully help inspire you as you build your journaling practice.
Title Your Entry
Adding a date probably goes without saying; pretty standard stuff. But try giving each entry a title. It helps when you’re flipping through, looking for a particular event but you can’t quite remember when it happened. It’s a great quick reference guide. It could be just a simple word or something creative, but it helps if it’s at least somewhat descriptive of a few things in the entry itself.
Make Space to Be Grateful
The stoics are big on the idea of gratitude. As Senea says, “nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.” It’s easy to get run down from the daily stresses of life. It’s a constant battle, even for a stoic. Part of the way we get through that is by remembering all the good things we have.
Your job. The walk you went on yesterday with your significant other. That cup of coffee first thing every morning. It doesn’t have to be anything profound or groundbreaking. After all, those are easy to be grateful for; it’s the small, everyday things that we need to be reminded of.
Every morning, the very first thing I write for my daily entry are three things that I’m grateful for. Nothing fancy. Just simple bullet points, usually one sentence each. The important thing is to constantly remind yourself of the good things in life despite whatever craziness seems to be going on in the world.
Include Personal Affirmations
Sure, it sounds cheesy and cliche. So what? It works! Just as it’s important to be grateful, it’s perhaps more important to recognize the good things about yourself. As a stoic, we spend most of our waking hours examining our every thought, action, word, and emotion. With all of that mental heavy-lifting, becoming too self-critical is a real risk for some of us.
You need to step back, give yourself some credit, and be a good friend to yourself. Seneca spoke on the value of being your own friend. In Letters from a Stoic, he writes to his friend Lucilius, saying, “what progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself.”
If it feels awkward, try writing just one sentence, saying something nice about yourself. What’s one thing you did well lately? Did someone recently compliment you? Did your boss recognize your hard work? Did you help a friend? Write it down. It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. Just write it. Then repeat daily. Eventually, it’ll become easier and you’ll start to see progress, faster.
Motivate Yourself by Remembering Your "WHY?"
Generating the discipline to improve yourself and reach your goals can be daunting. It’s something that I still struggle with, myself. One way to make it a little easier is to remind yourself each day of your “WHY?” Why are you trying to become more patient? Why are you trying to start a business? Why are you going to the gym? Why are you journaling?
Use a few lines to remember exactly why you’re going through this process of self-improvement. Let it serve as motivational fuel to keep focused and to keep going. Again, just a simple one line bullet point will do. Some days, I write the exact same thing I did the day before. Others, I write about different goals. The point is to always keep the benefits of what you’re trying to accomplish front and center.
A daily reminder of your “WHY” can keep you on track even when you’re having an off day. Marcus Aurelius, when struggling to get out of bed in the morning, thinking of how nice it would be to just stay under the nice warm covers, would remind himself of his “WHY”: “so you were born to feel “nice” instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and the spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?”
Keep your “WHY” in mind and use it to keep pushing yourself toward a better you.
Morning Preparation and Evening Reflection
This is where the majority of your journaling practice will take place. Let this section take up as much space as you need and fill the lines with all of your thoughts and emotions. Use it to prepare yourself for the day ahead, as Marus Aurelius once did, or reflect on the day right before bed like Seneca.
Ask yourself thought-provoking questions with a prompt, write about whether your actions and words from today aligned with the person you’re trying to be, or unload any negative thoughts to get a better night’s sleep. Put in the work.
Preparing for the day helps set yourself up for success and better equips you for dealing with whatever comes. Reviewing your day allows you to dig deep and analyze yourself. What did I do or say today that I’m proud of? What am I not so proud of? It helps keep you on track. Pick one or the other, a combination, or journal here and there throughout the day. Whatever you need to make the most of this process.
Track Your Memories
In addition to morning preparation and evening reflection, I’ll also use some space to write down anything from every day little moments to big life changing events. Who I spent time with. What we did and where we went. A funny thing my four year old nephew said. Jot down anything you think may be worth remembering.
This serves several purposes. It allows you to capture details that could get lost to time if not written down. I’m fascinated by the idea that, having developed my journaling habit into a daily routine, I’m chronicling my entire life. Years from now, I’ll be able to read about what I did on any given specific date, forever immortalized in the pages of my journal.
Recording events can show you many things. Every hardship you’ve overcome and every good thing that, at the time, you may have taken for granted. It helps you see the path you’re on and identify how your stoic principles are guiding you. Doing this, along with reflecting on your thoughts and emotions provides you with a more complete picture of you and your life.
Find What Works for You
There’s obviously no ONE way to write in your journal. And there’s no set list of requirements you MUST follow. These suggestions are meant to be a starting point for you as you build what works for you. Use them all or just parts of some. Above all, make it your own.
