My Morning Journaling Method
Yesterday, I wrote about different journaling methods and techniques. Today, I want to write about my own journaling method.
My morning begins around 5AM. As soon as I get up in the morning, I get changed and immediately brush my teeth. Then, I drink two cups of water. Then, I stretch my body, do push ups and squats to wake up from drowsiness. I record the number of push ups and squats done for each morning too. Then, I sit down with my journal and spend 30 minutes on journaling.
First, I record the exact time I woke up that morning. Usually, it’s 4:50AM.
Next, I write down today’s date. Then, I start writing about how I’m feeling. I quickly scan my body from head to toe. I try to feel my heart beat. I think about how my sleep was the night before. I also examine my emotions and look for any particular feelings I have at the moment. I usually write down things like “I feel rested,” “I feel good,” or “I feel healthy.” Being aware of your own physical and emotional states daily and writing them down can help you stay in the present. It’s a great way to begin your journal.
Another constant in my journal is writing down daily affirmation. Over time, I’ve worked on refining these affirmation statements. Each morning, I copy the exact sentences which contain statements about who I am and where I’m going.
Here’s my daily affirmation:
“I am a child of God who loves me, forgives and accepts me, and values me despite my shortcomings. I am a servant of Jesus who lived and died for me so I can live for Him and die to sin. Jesus is my vision. I am a house of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me and enables me to live out my identity and purpose. The Spirit makes me to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.”
Daily affirmation has been a game changer for me. It solidifies who I am in God. It clarifies where I need to go in terms of the vision of my life. And it encourages me to show up and be consistent and live with integrity every day.
After daily affirmation, I write briefly about what I’m supposed to do that day. I already know what my top 3 or 4 big tasks are for the day. So this is just another quick reminder and I keep it short.
Then, I write about anything that pops into my mind. Some say, brain dump. Others say, word vomit. The point of my morning journal is to clear my head and get ready for the day’s adventure. I want to start the day on a high note so I can stay positive and confident. If there’s any interesting idea that comes to mind at this point, I jot it down and keep exploring and expanding the idea. I continue writing until the alarm goes off. This is my morning journal.
Sometimes I want to journal more. In that case, I keep writing for a little longer after the alarm. I tend to invest a lot of time on journaling compared to others. But, I do this because I consider journaling to be an important part of my daily work and it is my keystone habit.
To conclude, here’s the summary of my journaling process:
