What is journaling really? It’s writing down what we think about our lives. That’s about it.

And why does every high achiever make journaling such an integral part of their routine? Ever wondered what they got out of it?

I remember as a kid watching Oprah with my mom and hearing her describe her daily journaling practice. For Oprah, it was not just about recording the events of her life, it was a tool for introspection, discovery and emotional processing. She regarded it as her single most valuable habit.

How journaling helped me as a single mom:

Journaling allowed me to learn lessons from my experiences, unpack emotions, and release pain I hadn’t processed. I spent a lot of time alone raising my son and it was the conversation I so desperately needed at the end of every night. I felt like I was painting a portrait of myself during the toughest times that I could one day look back on. But not only could I see who I was, I could see how I thought.

Journaling made me want to “do something” just because I knew I wanted to write about it. It was a way I could “seize the day” and feel like amid the chaos that was my life, I did 1 small thing for myself. My feelings were valid and deserved to be expressed.

Journaling allowed me to connect to gratitude. Let’s face it, there were so many moments I struggled to see the good in the day. I was always worried about money, my child, my future, and my health. Some days, I didn’t know how I would get through and I’m convinced that consciously connecting to everything I was grateful for changed the direction of my life.

Journaling helped me “shake it off.” It was a way I could leave my pain on the page and not take it to bed with me. It allowed me to see the problems in my life more subjectively, recognize patterns and come up with solutions. Often times, once I wrote my feelings down on the page, they lost the charge inside of my body. I could operate from a calmer place and find better coping mechanisms for my experiences with anxiety and depression.

Ok, I get it’s good for me, but how do I go about getting into the habit?

I think it’s safe to say that we agree journaling is a valuable and worthwhile practice, but our lives are a whirlwind of responsibilities. Who has time for self-reflection? And if I don’t do it, again, I’ve let myself down. It’s “another thing” I just can’t seem to get to. Just add it to the list. I’ve felt it all, trust me.

Welcome to the world of one-sentence journaling. It’s less about the journal, and more about becoming the type of woman who shows up for herself. This isn’t a long, introspective narrative outlining the minutia of my day, it’s a single thought, a fleeting moment, something I remembered, something I saw, am grateful for or am challenged by.

Here are some prompts right out of my own journal:

1. What was the most meaningful thing that happened today?
2. What am I grateful for in this moment?
3. What lesson did I learn from today’s challenges?
4. What made me smile or laugh today?
5. How did I make a difference in someone’s life today?
6. What’s one thing I did today that made me feel proud?
7. What’s a positive affirmation that reflects my current mood or aspiration?
8. What am I looking forward to tomorrow?
9. What was a moment of unexpected joy today?
10. How did I take a step toward a goal or dream today?

Another way to do it is to use 1 prompt for the month with 31 lines underneath. On the first line, write something like:

• What am I grateful for?
• What’s something unexpected that happened to me today?
• What have I found myself thinking about today?  

Then, every night, fill in one line underneath. You’ll be left with a beautiful summary of your month. Remember, you’re not looking to become some decorated novelist (at least I’m not), you’re becoming a woman who does what she says she’s going to do, who shows up for herself.

“In the journal I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself.”

Susan Sontag