If you’re like me, you’re familiar with the pains of getting a new journal and not knowing what to do with it. The eagerness that comes with opening the first blank page that is ultimately overcome with disjointed thoughts because you’re unable to determine what to write is frustrating and unnerving. There are so many things to write about. The possibilities are endless, and precisely this is what leads to confusion and lost motivation for me as I’m left to close the journal and put it back on the shelf after 5 minutes because of my indecisive nature. This cycle of getting a notebook, being excited to write in it but inevitably being overwhelmed with all the possibilities is perpetual. So, in order to clear my own thoughts as well as help others who’ve gotten a new journal but are having difficulty deciding its purpose, I’ve created a list of ideas on what to do with a blank journal.
1. Bullet journal or Planner
This is an obvious one. You can simply fill up the pages of your notebook with plans, goals, things to do, food/exercise/mood tracking, and logs — all of which can be beneficial in being a focused individual.
2. Art Journal
Create doodles, drawings, paintings or work with photos and magazine cut outs. The best part about this is that you don't have to be an artist. You can just make art for the sake of it whenever inspiration hits or whenever you need to relieve stress.
3. Film Journal
Keep track of the films you watch, write down your favorite quotes, and review/comment on what you like or dislike and for what reason. This can be done similarly with music, books, TV shows and various other types of entertainment mediums.
4. Travel Journal
Write about your adventures such as where you've been and where you want to go. Collect souvenirs (tickets, pamphlets, guides) and attach them in your journal.
5. Dream Journal
Document your dreams, perhaps make stories out of them.
6. Free Writing
Just write endlessly about anything that comes to your mind.
7. Reflection Journal
This is based around prompts and questions that you can answer in your journal about yourself, your relationships, your wishes, and much more in order to aid in the process of self reflection. Prompts can easily be found online if you search "journaling prompts."
There are many other options as well that you can choose to pursue, but these are some of my favorite ones.
