The 3 Types of Journals to Keep
About Ana Juma
Keeping a diary from a young age has encouraged me to explore writing as a vehicle of self-discovery and expression. Today, I support individuals nourishing and healing their inner lives through words, so we can find meaning in experiences and co-create a kinder world.
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Did you know there are only three types of journals to choose from?
Keeping a journal can help you record your past, bring awareness to the present, and, ultimately, create your future.
While we are all familiar with the benefits of journaling, this practice is sometimes undervalued because we were not taught how to intentionally put pen to paper for healing and growth.
The truth is, when you know how journaling works, journaling will work for you.
Whether you’re new to journaling or a seasoned veteran, this article will help you understand the different types of journaling and choose which one is best for you.
1. Guided Journal
If you want to start journaling and you don’t know where to begin, a Guided Journal may be what you’ve been looking for.
Guided Journals help you to answer questions like “What do I journal about?” or “What journal writing prompts do I use?”
They’re filled with daily writing prompts, exercises, questions, and quotes to keep you inspired. The Life Journal is an example of a Guided Journal.
Guided Journals may come in many forms: as a gratitude journal, a workout journal, a travel journal, a moon journal, just to name a few.
They’re usually associated with a specific purpose. The most common reasons why people keep a Guided Journal include increasing productivity and focus, organizing the day, tracking habits, living more intentionally, and staying happy and grateful.
In case your intention is to keep a daily journal and to build the habit of this life-changing practice, then my recommendation is to start with a Guided Journal, as it will make the process much smoother and quicker for you.
A planner is a Guided Journal, so if you’re the type of person who likes structure, order, and pre-designed templates, this may be the best option for you.
2. Blank Journal
A Blank Journal is the most creative, free type of journaling.
While it gives you all the space to create, its empty pages can also be intimidating.
Chances are that you have at home a Blank Journal that you’ve never used, and here’s why: you don’t know what to do with it (and you’re not alone.)
The biggest advantage of using a Blank Journal versus other types of journaling is the creative possibilities that it offers. It empowers you to express more than words and to embrace the beauty of the creative chaos.
Journaling ideas to help you use a Blank Journal to its full potential:
- Sketch and doodle your heart out
- Brainstorm new projects and ideas
- Paste photos, tickets, and images that spark joy
- Create daily reminders with journal stickers
- Explore mind-mapping
The possibilities of what you can do with a Blank Journal are limitless.
3. Standard Journal
A Standard Journal is the sweet spot between structure and freedom.
You can look at it as a Blank Journal combined with a Guided Journal, in which you are the designer.
Just like Guided Journals, they may vary in form. The most common are dotted journals, lined pages journals, and square grid journals. Each page of Guided Journals is equal, uniform, and standardized.
How do you know if a Guided Journal is your type of journal? If you’re the kind of person who…
- Likes to keep an arty, gorgeous journal while organizing relevant information, then bullet journaling may be your cup of tea.
- Has, let’s say, a peculiar handwriting that gets all over the place, then lined pages is a must try.
- Doesn’t believe in a “one size fits all” type of journaling and wants to create your own methods and layouts, then any Standard Journal is a potential match.
You see, the trick here is to analyze your needs first, and then understand what journal type suits best for you.
How I use different types of journals
If you’re a regular journal like me, you may want to be using more than one type of journal. In case it serves as inspiration, here’s how I use different types of journals:
Guided Journal: Daily. My go-to for living with intention. I use the Life Journal to write down my monthly, weekly, and daily goals, as well as my gratitude list, learnings, dreams, and daily thoughts. It doesn’t take more than 5-10 minutes.
Blank Journal: Weekly. By December of each year, I offer myself a blank journal to write my stream of consciousness. When I’m in Lisbon, I write them every Saturday morning. When I’m traveling, I write on it more often.
Standard Journal: Rarely. I’ve experimented with dotted pages and bullet journaling, but it didn’t stick. I used standard journals when I began writing Morning Pages as it kept my handwriting linear and my journal tidy.
If you’d like to learn more about journaling, sign up below for my 7-day free journaling training. See you there!
7-Day Free Journaling Journey
Keeping a journal for personal growth is one of the most powerful, yet simple (and affordable) rituals you can cultivate. Join me to receive one email a day, for a week, to help you start writing a journal today.
Hello, I'm Juma
Keeping a diary from a young age has encouraged me to explore writing as a vehicle of self-discovery and expression. Today, I support individuals nourishing and healing their inner lives through words, so we can find meaning in experiences and co-create a kinder world.
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