Journaling: From Failed Attempts to a Life-Changing Practice

I have always loved the idea of journaling—buying the pretty notebooks, finding the perfect pen—but actually sticking with it? That’s another story. I’ve started and stopped more times than I can count, never quite knowing what to write or feeling like I was doing it “right.” So when I sat down with journaling expert Samantha Hawley, I wasn’t expecting much. But her five-step process completely changed my perspective.

Step one—awareness—was where I started, and at first, I felt anxious. I thought my discomfort was about journaling itself, but what I uncovered was something so much deeper. Moving into her second step—meaning—took me down an unexpected path, revealing emotions and thoughts I hadn’t truly addressed. In the past, my journaling was surface-level at best—lists, quick reflections, nothing too deep. But this experience showed me that journaling isn’t just about writing; it’s about processing, healing, and making sense of the emotions we often ignore.

If you’re like me—a self-proclaimed journal fail—I encourage you to give it another shot, but in a way that actually works. Samantha offers a free journaling blueprint that helped me get started in a meaningful way. You can check it out here: Calm Mind Blueprint. Who knows? It might just change your life, too.