5 Journaling Myths Preventing Your Growth

Journaling seems like a beautiful but unattainable art form. I mean, have you seen the way people do calligraphy with just simple markers?! Compared to my irregularly shaped letters, I didn't think I had what it took to journal!

If you're interested but believe that journaling isn't attainable, I encourage you to shake loose of the mental blocks that are holding you back from growth and take a leap into the unknown. (Or at least a small step forward by reading this blog!)

Remember, you miss a 100% of the shots you don't take. After debunking these common myths, you'll be able to take on journaling with a renewed hope and a healthy mindset to what it really means to journal!

Ready? Let's get started!

Myth 1: Journaling is a waste of time 😒

We can't grow without keeping track of our wins or failures. How do we know we are growing if we don't have a baseline to reference? Progress is not linear. We fall behind and when we do, we may not know how to recover the distance lost as well. We may overexert ourselves and crash. What's worse is that with all the changes add up, we average out to the same place as we started!

The math doesn't lie. We don't know what is working for us and what is working against us if we can't evaluate it!

Additionally, journaling is a healthy way to do a brain dump! Our mind has a limited capacity, so jotting down information is important so that you can focus on doing the task at hand.

Journaling may take some time to get used to, but in the long run it saves time by making your progress clear, keeping you on track, and helping you bounce back!

Myth 2: You have to be perfect 😰

Maybe this idea wasn't stated outright, but this is the impression we get from looking at those Pinterest photos of the perfect journals: intricate calligraphy, straight lines, and perfect layouts. It's cute but intimidating to a person who is just starting.

Breathe.

A journal is a book of notes that is supposed to help you. Savings, meal planning, mental health, bible study, habit tracker, all of these things, and more can be done through journaling. Journaling is NOT just for aesthetics.

Yes, you can take an artistic approach, but I believe that should come after you know what format/process works for you. You can always add those adorable cat stickers and roll of Washi tape once you got your to-do list is written down.

Myth 3: You CAN'T journal digitally 🙅‍♀️

WRONG!

Like I defined before, a journal is a book of notes with the purpose of helping YOU! I personally have been using OneNote for YEARS and I have a section for every part of my life on there! There are many pros to going digital such as adding videos/links online, the ability to share/cooperate, and the ability to change up the journal. The con is the need to have some kind of screen in front of you which might be distracting and the fact that writing works a unique part of your brain over typing (you remember more what you write over what you type).

People are wired differently or have different needs. In the end, journaling is supposed to works for us, NOT against us. Journaling digitally isn't a stepping stone to real journaling, it IS real journaling!

Myth 4: Journaling is expensive! 😭

How much do you think Journaling costs? We have all seen those fancy journals. They are nice and helpful, but if you're short on cash, this hobby is the best to start out with a humble beginning. Chances are you have a notebook or a binder of loose notebook somewhere. You don't need Copic markers, fancy pens or colored pencils, or latest/groundbreaking new journaling method. You just need something that is simple to gain traction! If you do want new supplies, you can get them cheaply at a dollar store or stores like Ross, Marshalls, and Five Below. Clearance shelves are your best friends!

Bonus Tip: You probably have a lot of notebooks with blank papers but not enough pages to make it your go-to journal. I recommend tearing out the pages of all the small notebooks and tear off the perforated sides. That way you can combine all the pages together together and it is a great way to recycle!

Myth 5: It's only for females 😬

If you have every written a note, used a planner, or looked at a calendar, then you kind of already been journaling! Focus on the format and purpose of journaling rather than aesthetic. The aesthetics can be whatever you want!

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Has my debunking helped you see journaling in a better light? Maybe even got you journaling? 😀

If you have any lingering hurdles against journaling, take out a piece of paper and write it down. ✍️

You did it?

GOOD!

Now you're journaling! (Ha-ha!)

Express and let out all that is inside of you-it is super cathartic!

Take care and remember to stay vivacious ya'll!