Pick a Pen. Start Again.

I’m Starting Again…

Returning to My Journaling Journey

There was a time when journaling was a regular part of my life.

I would sit with my notebook and write—sometimes about what happened, sometimes about how I felt, and sometimes simply about the thoughts running through my mind.

And I loved making it colourful.

Every day had a different coloured gel pen.

Blue one day. Purple the next. Green, pink, orange…

Looking back, I realise those pages did much more than record my days. Writing helped me clear my mind, understand my feelings and sometimes find answers that I didn't know I already had.

For a while, I moved my journaling to my Kindle Scribe, and I genuinely enjoyed the experience. But carrying the Kindle everywhere, especially while travelling, wasn't always practical; the occasional breaks slowly became longer ones, and I realised that the hardest part of journaling isn't starting—it is coming back after a break.

Somewhere along the way, the habit disappeared.

Today, I am starting again.

And if you have never journaled—or stopped like I did—maybe you can start with me.

Why Write at All?

Our minds are constantly talking.

I should have done that differently.

Why did that person say that?

What if this doesn't work?

I need to remember this.

I really want to do that someday.

Thoughts keep piling up.

Writing gives them somewhere to go.

Sometimes a problem that feels enormous inside our head looks surprisingly manageable when we see it written on paper.

And sometimes while writing, we discover the real issue underneath the issue.

That's the beauty of journaling.

You don't need to be a writer. You just need to be honest with yourself.

“But I Don't Want Someone Reading My Journal!”

I have heard this from many people.

“I don't want to write my personal feelings in a diary. What if somebody finds it?”

Fair enough.

Your journal doesn't necessarily have to be a beautiful book sitting beside your bed.

Write on an ordinary piece of paper.

Let everything out.

Then take a photograph of it and save it in a locked/private folder on your phone.

After that, tear up the paper if you want.

You still get the experience of physically writing your thoughts without worrying about someone discovering your notebook.

You can even maintain a digital journal if that feels safer.

The method doesn't matter. The conversation with yourself does.

What Do I Actually Write?

This is where many people get stuck.

So don't begin with “Today I woke up at 6…”

Try questions instead.

On a normal morning:

• How am I feeling today?

• What's occupying my mind?

• What is one thing I really want to accomplish today?

When something is bothering you:

Write everything you're thinking without correcting yourself.

Then ask:

What actually happened?

What am I assuming?

Is there another way of looking at this?

When you feel stuck:

Write at the top of the page:

“If I knew the answer, what would I tell myself?”

Then keep writing.

You might be surprised by what comes out.

When life feels negative:

Try the Rule of 3.

Write down the problem and find three good things, possibilities or perspectives within the situation.

Not to pretend that the problem doesn't exist—but to remind yourself that the problem isn't the whole picture.

Make Journaling Something You Look Forward To

This is something I want to bring back from my old journaling days.

Colour.

Choose a different coloured gel pen every day.

Put a little ⭐ beside something that made you happy.

Draw a 💡 when an idea suddenly comes to you.

Circle a sentence you want to remember.

Write one word in BIG letters if it captures your day.

Your journal doesn't have to look serious.

It has to look like you.

And Before You Sleep…

You don't need another long journal entry.

Just write:

3 things I am grateful for today.

1 thing I did well.

1 thing I learnt.

And perhaps one final sentence:

“Today, I am choosing to let go of ______.”

Then close the book.

Tomorrow is another page.

I'm Not Starting From Zero

When we restart an old habit, we sometimes feel disappointed that we stopped in the first place.

I'm choosing to look at it differently.

I already know what journaling once gave me.

I'm simply returning to something that was good for me.

This time, I don't want rules such as two pages every day or I must journal for 20 minutes.

Some days may be pages.

Some days may be three lines.

And some days may simply be:

Today I feel ______.

I'm grateful for ______.

Tomorrow I want to ______.

That's enough.

Because journaling isn't about creating a perfect record of our lives.

It is about creating a little space in our lives to listen to ourselves.

So, I'm taking out my notebook again.

And, of course, my coloured gel pens.

If you have been thinking about journaling, maybe today is a good day for you to begin too.

Pick a colour.

Write the date.

And start with:

“How am I—really?”

Don't think too much.

Just let the pen move.