Your journaling habit may come easier if you 'Prep the Page'

What’s more intimidating for a writer than a staring contest with the invisible question mark on a blank page?

Not much.

A simple solution is to prep the page.

I start with to prepping the environment as well. Here are the seven steps I take at the end of the day:

I place my journal and pen where I plan to journal in the morning. For me, that’s the kitchen table. I have a cup of tea while journaling.

I write the full date on the page. Some of my older journals don’t have the year on every entry. I end up wondering, “When was this?”

Under the date, I make a column with the letters B, L, D.  I record what I eat daily. If I was a snacker, I could add an S.

“Gratitude” is next. I leave nine lines—three each for two statements of gratitude, one for intent.

"Thoughts” is where I do the bulk of my writing. I free journal whatever is on my mind. You could have sentence starters or questions.

My morning ends with The Daily Stoic. This year I've been reflecting on each day’s reading in The Daily Stoic. When I finish the book, I will not need this section.

My last section, "Happiness and Reflection," is completed at the end of the day. I write what made me happy and reflect on anything I learned or might do differently. And, of course, prep the page for tomorrow.

When I sit down with my tea in the morning, I will not be intimidated by a blank page.

Your prep should not look like mine. Mine is an example. Journaling is personal. Your journal should reflect your needs.

Prepping the page will help you build a journaling habit.