There Are No Rules. I Have Five.
journaling principles to adopt, amend, or abandon
The beauty of the journal is it’s all your own. You get to write however you like.
I asked journalers at my Spring Reset workshop last weekend how they define journaling, and they shared wonderfully open-ended descriptions like “communicating with oneself” and — I love this — “writing without editing.”
Journaling is just for you. No one else gets a vote. So, although I’m sharing the principles that have supported my 34-year journaling streak, you are most welcome to take these ideas, tinker with them, or toss them out. Your journal, your rules.
Principle 1: THERE ARE NO RULES
My first rule is there are no rules. I can’t overstate the importance of this concept.
For one thing, I don’t worry about compositional correctness. Journaling is nothing like writing for an external reader. You don’t need public speaking skills to have an intimate conversation, and you don’t need to “write well” in order to journal. You don’t even need to write sentences. You don’t need to make sense. Anything goes.
You could write your stream of consciousness, transcribing your thoughts. You could make lists. Craft limericks. Record your dreams. Brainstorm ideas. Capture old memories. Describe the room you’re in. Draft never-to-be-sent letters.
I define journaling as any writing for your eyes only. It’s communicating with yourself through the medium of writing. (Technically, I even think of planning as a subset of journaling.) Whatever works for you is an excellent way to journal.
Principle 2: BE HONEST
That said, the magic of journaling is clearly perceiving what you are thinking and feeling. For this to work, one must be radically, gloriously, absurdly, obscenely honest. One must write without editing oneself out.
I come to the journal to come clean. The more transparent I can be, the more I can learn about what I need and where my attention needs to go.
This might mean writing out the top ten things I’m stressed about. Debriefing on the day’s events. Cataloguing emotions and sensations. Describing what I’m secretly wishing for. Expressing impolite sentiments like rage and ridicule.
Cringey? Yes.
Cathartic? You don’t even know.
Principle 3: EVERYTHING IN YOU IS VALID.
The second principle works because of this one: Everything is allowed. There is nothing in you that the journal rejects. Every emotion, every memory, every desire, and every concern is not only inherently valid, but inherently valuable.
It’s your human heart, unique and precious. It’s your unrepeatable individual perspective. It’s your truth that only you can know.
The journal accepts it all. And, quite often, it’s those most unwelcome thoughts and feelings that lead to the most helpful breakthroughs.
Principle 4: MAKE ROOM FOR THE MUSE
I always come to the journal ready to be surprised.
In both my teaching and my practice, I love to use prompts, but these are just to get started. Once the pen is moving, the writing goes where it goes. More often than not, what comes out is unexpected. I might have one idea I need to get down, but then all kinds of new — beneficial, actionable! — thoughts and insights appear.
To call in the muse, all that’s needed to show up and be curious. What wants to be written?
Principle 5: READ YOUR JOURNAL
You don’t need to read your journal to get all the positive outcomes of journaling. But it’s a critical part of my practice, because:
By reading back through what I’ve written (about once a month), I can pick up on patterns. It becomes easy to distinguish between momentary, fleeting thoughts and what keeps recurring and intruding — clearly requiring attention.
Consistently reading my journal solidifies a relationship between the writer and the reader. When I write, I know it will be honored. It will be taken seriously. My words will be read generously and lovingly by the person who knows me best.
Right away, even after just a few days, I can see how much my life and mind have shifted. By the time I read my entries, my perspective has always evolved. I love knowing just how dynamic we are as living, learning beings.
I’ve been doing this so long that I can reliably predict a certain direction of movement. The reader is always at least a little wiser than I am. This gives me trust in my future self. Whatever I’m going through now, she knows exactly how to handle it, because she’s already been through it and come out stronger.
🖊️ Journaling meta-prompt: What are your principles for your journal?
More Resources:
🏕️ Summer Journaling Camp — Explore your authentic yes and no in a playful, guided journey of self-discovery. Early Bird pricing available through July 2.
🚫 50 Ways to Say NO — Go-to phrases to protect your boundaries and why they work. Also available as a card deck.