In my journal today ... 10 Topics to explore in your journal.

Not to brag, but my life is pretty full. Mostly not by choice, I guess I find myself drowning in a lake of responsibility, to that end I am never short of topics to write about in my journal. I am often asked what I write about or how I explore different topics.

I hope this post will give you some ideas to develop for yourself, a short guide to get the most out of your journal and explore your life experiences.

1. Daily Life

Not every day is an adventure, however every day has something that you want to remember. Sometimes negative and sometimes positive.

For me I like to take time every day to remind myself of what went well, what didn't go so well and what I'd like to change if the same situation came up again.

I spend a lot of time with my family, I work with them, I live with them and I spend my weekends with them, for me it is important to explore those relationships in my journal in an effort to make them as enjoyable as possible. The work/ life balance is always challenging, this is where I work this out for myself.

2. Thoughts And Emotions

In any given day if you're like me, you go through a kaleidoscope of thoughts, highs and lows, we experience happiness and sadness, our emotions can dance around leading us down a path way that we least expect.

Sometimes we experience thoughts and emotions that we are reluctant to share, this is where I off load my intimate thoughts freely without the fear of judgement of others.

3. Favorite Quotes & Poems

I love quotes, reading them inspires me. They have a way of uplifting my spirit when I am at my lowest but I find they can also move me and give me new thought patterns to enrich my writing. A journal is a great place to collect my favorites.

Favorite poems have that same effect on me. I like to keep my favorite where I can ponder them. Creating doodles or adding stickers to enhance their appearance is a way to let my creative side flow.

4. To do Lists & Brain dumps

I like organisation. I would like to say I am an organised person, sadly I am not. However, I use my journal in an effort to be better at that.

I make lists for everything, I often say that my lists have lists. Although this is a great way to stay on top of all sorts of organisation requirements it is important to remember that focusing and spending too much time on these lists can be counter productive.

I use my journal at the beginning of every week for my brain dump. If you have never done this or are confused by what I'm talking about, a brain dump is simply a page where you write down every chore, appointment or task that you need to complete in the week. It's a place to free our minds of the clutter so that we can focus on priorities for the week ahead.

5. Vision Board

Do you know what your dream life looks like ? A vision board is a great place to make a visual collage of all your dreams, desires, goals and favorite quotes, its a good idea to have this information where you can look at it regularly, where better than in your journal.

6. Gratitude

My day begins and ends with gratitude and joy - Louise Hay

Being grateful for all we have is the most fulfilling feelings that exists. I use my journal to list out my blessings daily. Showing gratitude in this way helps me to notice more of the things I have to be grateful for. It is so easy in this busy era to be complacent and forget all that life has to offer us, our achievements and the goals we have completed.

7. Achievements

Are you proud of yourself? If not why not? A journal is a great place to document this. We spend so much of our self talk telling ourselves how stupid we are or asking why we did this or that, negative talk is easy, but what about the positive chat, how often do we have that conversation? Not often enough for sure. Taking time at the end of each day to make a list of the things that I am proud of myself for is a way to be mindful of my achievements, to praise my work, to love who I am and to improve on my self esteem, it is a real confidence booster.

8. Travel Journal

One of my biggest most cherished passions is travel. I love visiting new destinations, learning about different cultures and tasting cuisine from the destination but more than this, my goal this year was to visit local towns and villages that I haven't yet visited, all of this information has also been accumulated in my journal. Photographs, brochures and tidbits that I have collected along the way are all stored in my journal as my very own little book of memories.

9. Ideas

Do you ever find yourself thinking about an idea, perhaps its a re design of a room in your home or a plan for a new business, perhaps it's a dream vacation, anything that needs planning. Your journal is a great place to develop that.

I have developed many ideas and plans that way. A place to list the tasks step by step until the dream is realized.

10. Reflection

At the end of every week, month and year, it is important to reflect on our progress in life. By writing in your journal on a regular basis it becomes more easy to reflect on your life. A journal gives you a way to measure your progress. To make changes if necessary or to continue on your current pathway.

Journaling is such a rewarding experience. There are so many opportunities and experiences to journal, there truly is a journal for everyone. I hope you have been inspired to start a journal of your own. I'd love to hear about your journaling experience.

xx Lei

Journaling helps you to remember how strong you truly are within yourself - Asad Meah