How and Why I’ve Changed My Journaling Routine

One of the big things I’ve learned over the past year on my personal development journey is the importance of reflecting on your systems to ensure what has worked for you in the past is still working now and if there are any opportunities for improvement to give them a try. This idea is very much intertwined with a concept I wrote about called Provisional Truths —I believe we are meant to seek out the best ways to optimize our lives, but inherent in this idea is that there isn’t necessarily one right answer. We have to detach our identities from our current ways of doing things and be open to experimenting and prototyping with new methods to see how they work for us.

My most recent test has been changing how I journal. I’ve had a steady journaling practice for the last 2–3 years, doing it practically every day in a variety of formats. It’s been a really important way for me to develop a healthy internal dialogue and more effectively process the jumble of thoughts in my head. (Click here to learn why I journal in more detail).

Something I’ve been set on since the beginning of this practice is the idea of using a physical journal. We spend so much time already on our phones and computers; journaling on paper is a simple way to detach for a few minutes. It forces you to slow down your thought process and writing in your own handwriting adds a…